To No Avail
by tonoavailxoxo
Summary: Maka knows the perfect weapon comes with a price; but she's searched for so long. One night, she dreams of it-a scythe changing into a snow haired, red eyed boy. To remember him, she asks Kid to draw him; but what if that drawing comes to life? SoulxMaka
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: HEY GUYS. I'm back—sorta?**

**For the past… months? Years? O_o I've been reading fanfiction and all these ideas have been jumbled up into my head. Of course—not all of it is going to be about Twilight. I've actually gotten interested in Naruto, Kimi ni Todoke, Soul Eater, Bleach, Fairy Tail—you know? And I'm loving all the characters!**

**So here's a little SOUL EATER for everyone, a SoulxMaka pairing fanfic! Enjoy! :D**

SUMMARY:

Perfection comes with a price, but Maka Albarn has been searching for the perfect weapon for the longest time—to no avail. Sometimes, she thinks the weapon of her dreams probably doesn't exist. At a sleepover with Liz and Patty, she dreams of a ruby-eyed boy whose white hair shimmered in the moonlight as he reached out to save her. She approaches Kid, in hope that he could 'perfectly' draw out the person she dreamed about. But—what if it turns out _too_ perfectly? Soul x Maka.

**MAKA POV**

**Chapter One – The Perfect Weapon**

_I was SO not in the mood for this._

I could hear faint voices as I dragged my high-heeled feet up the long staircase of Shibusen Academy. I was probably ruining my long, black dress, but I didn't care much anymore. I had overused it, anyway.

When I reached the top, I turned to look at Death City below—as I always do. The view was amazing, as usual, and I noticed that neighboring houses were starting to turn their lights on. Understandable—seeing as it was quite dark for six in the evening. I unknowingly sighed and turned around, walking towards familiar doors that I have passed one too many times.

"_Welcome to third Weapon-Meister Convention for this school year! If you have not received your name tag, please approach Stein or Marie-sensei!"_

I cringed. Third.

This would be the third time this school year that I would (once again, unsuccessfully) _try_ to find the perfect weapon.

Here at Shibusen Academy, meisters and weapons come together and partner up to perform missions (usually by totally obliterating kishin souls) in order to protect the peace of Death City—and around the world. The opportunities are great. I mean, free trips around the world? Being able to meet Shinigami-sama himself? Learning more about souls and demon gods? Sure, the missions are like life-death situations, but that hardly counts. To be able to contribute to world peace, like now when kishins _could_ rise to a whole new level…

There's only one problem to all this.

To go on missions, you need a partner. No solo missions. Nada.

And as I mentioned before, this would be the third time that I would _try_ to find a partner—the perfect weapon—for me, at least.

My name is Maka Albarn. I'm your average girl. And when I say average, I really mean it. No cliché-ness whatsoever. I'm nothing like my friends, who all seem to have better figures and racks than me. Swerves, curves—they have it all. And here I am, Ms. Flat-Chested, Green-Eyed, Pig-Tailed Blondie; partner-less _and _attractive-less.

I reluctantly opened the door and surprised myself. The room was filled with people—with more new weapons and meisters than old. Everyone was dressed in outstanding formal outfits. The girls were in long, beautiful gowns and the boys fumbled with their rich and grand tuxes. I blushed, since the dress I was currently wearing was the only formal dress I had; and that I had worn it repeatedly for every other weapon-meister event. Maybe that's why I couldn't find a partner.

I scanned the crowd—in hoping to find a familiar face. I checked the buffet stand, the dance floor, and the neatly arranged tables—as if symmetrical. A flash of white caught my eye and I grinned at the boy in the all-white tux. Standing on the other side of the room was one of my good friends, Death the Kid, followed by his twin pistol weapons, Liz and Patty. Kid's dad—also known as Shinigami-sama, probably asked him to be on guard duty. Shinigami sama never leaves the Death Room, anyway.

Kid yawned as his sleepy eyes gazed at the crowd before him, his dark bangs washed over his face. I walked towards that direction, ignoring the stares I was getting for cutting through the middle of the dance floor. He spotted me immediately and frowned, running a hand through his black hair—that is, except for the three Sanzu marks that stopped mid-way on the left side of his head.

"Maka! You're here yet again?" he asked, as Patty and Liz jumped at my name.

"WAAH! Maka-chan! Nice to see you again!" Patty grinned, her short, light blonde hair bouncing on her shoulders, her red dress swaying along with her. Liz walked up to me, tutting, mentioning how I should have worn something different at the very least. Her long brown hair was tied up in a messy bun, and she wore a similar dress to Patty's.

I gave a half-meant smile and replied, "Hah, yeah. Here I am… once again."

"Any luck so far?" Kid asked.

"Nah. I just arrived. I'm surprised though; there are a lot of people today." I pouted. There was no point in searching, anyway. "But…one glance told me that there was no way my perfect partner would be here. I swear, I think your OC is contagious, Kid."

"Speaking of OC," Liz said, interrupting Kid before he could reply to my comment, "I can't help but think I've seen you wear that dress waaaay too many times, Maka!"

"This is kind of the _only _dress I have, Liz," I replied sadly, staring down at my feet. "It's not as if I can afford much—not with Mama gone, anyway."

"But I thought your dad worked—" Kid began, but my eyes shot up to meet his before he could continue, glaring at him, as if asking, I DARE YOU TO CONTINUE THAT SENTENCE.

"He. Is. Not. My. Father," I said, "And never will be. So I refuse to use his money!"

I felt a light tap on my shoulder, and I slowly turned around, "Sorry, but I'm not here to—"

A tall, teen boy smiled lightly at me, neatly dressed in a black tux, silver eyes glinting with excitement. His blonde hair was messy, with bits and pieces of brown, as if waving in different directions. He bowed at me and I could feel the blood rushing to my cheeks. When our eyes met again, he said, "Pardon me, Maam, but I couldn't help but notice you didn't have a name tag…"

My ears ringed with his slight British accent; and I slowly looked down at my chest and realized that, yes, I did not have one. (_AND SHUT UP TO YOU PEOPLE WHO SEE THE DOUBLE MEANING TO THOSE WORDS!)_ "Oh, uh, yeah, sorry about that. My name is Maka Albarn, a meister." I extended my hand and he gave it a firm shake.

"Hiroshi Lair, long-ranged weapon, nice to meet you, Maka," he said, as if exasperated. I quickly looked down at his chest to see a neat, white nametag with the words "Hiroshi: Weapon" on it. "I was wondering…well, if you wanted to dance? Or rather, would you want to try a Soul Resonance, or—?"

"I'm terribly sorry, Hiroshi," I interrupted, biting my lip. "But, I'm really not in the mood to find a partner at the moment."

I cringed at how straightforward I was. I was afraid I had offended him, but he only smiled, and I unknowingly sighed.

"That's alright. But, I hope I see you around more often," he replied, "Maybe we could get to know each other."

"Sure, of course." I said, and I heard Patty and Liz giggling and snickering behind me. He gave me another bow, and walked away.

"Wow, Maka, you sure can get 'em, can't you?" Liz said, snickering.

"I don't understand… why are you guys snickering!" I pouted uneasily.

"Well Maka," Kid said, surprising me, "Hiroshi Lair is… not someone who gets rejected."

"What?" I asked, as if what Kid said just passed through my ear and out the other.

"Hiroshi Lair is a very popular student here at Shibusen Academy," he continued, "Just recently though, his previous meister had moved out, so now he's on the look out for a new one."

"Looks like he had his eyes on you," Liz whistled as Patty giggled, "Probably not just as a meister. But what I mean is...we can all see that you're a very talented meister. You just really want to find the right weapon, don't you?" Liz smiled gently.

I grinned and looked up sheepishly at my friends. "Did I ever tell you? About my mom?"

"You mentioned beforehand that she made your _Papa_ a death scythe." Kid nodded, oblivious to my glare.

"Right," I huffed, "And do you know what Spirit's weapon form is?"

"A scythe!" Patty yelled loudly, causing a few dancers to look our way.

I nodded, "Yup, a scythe. And my Mama, when I was younger, would show me her tricks and moves, y'know? I would try at times to, and I practiced long and hard to be just like her."

"Is that why you didn't choose Hiroshi? Because he was a long-ranged weapon?"

"Not only that," I sighed, "I guess what I'm trying to say is, I'm picky. I want a scythe weapon. Not just something I think I can get used to,"

I looked up at all of them as they contemplated on what I was saying.

"What I really want…is to be just like Mama."

During the convention, I decided to just hang out with Kid, Liz and Patty, and pretend to be on duty as well. Occasionally, people would approach us and ask me for a request, but I would lie and inform them that I was taken—that I already had a partner. FOR BOTH REASONS, if you're wondering.

"Aren't you afraid that this would start rumors?" Liz asked, twirling a strand of hair that left from her bun.

"I don't think I'm popular enough for that," I grinned.

Liz shrugged. "You never know, really. I mean, you _are _the daughter of a death scythe!"

Kid returned with some drinks and passed it around. I nodded in thanks. "How's Black Star and Tsubaki?"

"Speaking of which, Tsubaki is coming over for a sleepover later!" Patty giggled. "Why don't you come over too, Maka?"

"What sleepover, I don't remem—" Kid began, but was interrupted.

"Sure, it's not like I have anything better to do." I mumbled.

"Hang on a minute, Patty! Liz! I demand to kno—"

"Oh come on, don't say it like that! We'll go to your house and help you pack for it, 'kay?" Patty continued.

"Patty! YOU AREN'T LISTENING TO ME! I don't remember you asking about ANY sleepover whatsoever—!"

"Thanks guys, I really appreciate it." I grinned.

"USELESS! IRRELEVANT! UNSYMMETRICAL!" Kid began shouting, as he stomped away. "MY SCHEDULE! RUINED!"

"Ignore him. He'll get over it later…" Liz muttered, as Kid knelt on the ground, pounding on it with his fist, calling himself "trash" and "unworthy."

I grinned at my friends, thinking about how lucky I was to be able to spend time with them. If it weren't for them, I probably would've lost my patience and just ended up with some random partner. But Liz had told me, "Partners are important. You feel a special connection to them that you can't see in anyone else. You can't just go to a weapon-meister convention and expect to find the perfect partner on your first try!"

As the bell tolled to signal the end of the convention, I noticed many partners had been made as they exited through the doors of the Shibusen Convention Room. I also noticed the flash of blonde of Hiroshi's hair as he passed through the door with no one by his side. I could feel the guilt rise in my stomach and I gulped down, hoping I didn't hurt his feelings.

Later at my house, Liz and Patty gushed over about 'hot boys' they saw at the convention as I silently packed my things. I guess being out of their meister's hands gave them more authority to talk about different things. Like… hot, unsymmetrical boys…

_Boys_, I thought, and wanted to spit the word out of my mouth. I hated them. One other reason why I rejected Hiroshi was because of my dislike for boys. I'm sure he was a wonderful guy (and NOTHING like my pap—I mean, Spirit) but I grew up with these feelings towards guys. So I figured if I ever had a perfect weapon, it'd be a girl, and she'd be like Mama. Smart, fun to be around, and loyal. Just like Jacqueline is to Kim.

When we arrived at Kid's house, we saw Tsubaki sitting patiently on the bench near the front door. When she spotted us she gave her traditional sweet smile and a slight wave. She asked about the convention, where my only reply was a shake of my head. She frowned, but nodded in understanding.

Kid glared at each of us as we passed through the front door, eyeing us down like we were some intergalactic species. We heard a slight slam as Kid said, "If you need me, I'll be in the library!" and he stomped off in the other direction.

"Uh, Liz, you sure he's not mad?" I asked.

"Trust me; we always plan things without his permission. He'll get over it one day," She said, rolling her eyes and she opened the doors to the large living room. "Alright, we're here for the night! Please, do make yourselves feel at home!"

I did so; but I couldn't help but think that Kid had been awfully flustered lately.

At around 2AM, Patty's snores echoed through-out the room as Liz shut the TV off after the last movie. She decided to call it a night; and Tsubaki and I agreed. We dragged our feet to our sleeping mats; and as I lay my head on my pillow, I immediately drifted off into sleep.

It was odd, at first, because there were blurry visions. I could hear occasional noise—like people screaming, or shouting, and then a clash, as if weapons were colliding. And then the scene would change to the soft sound of crickets at night, and light footsteps. And then, I started to see the scenery. I was at the precarious edge of a tall building, looking down below, where dirt and giant marbles of stone lay, as if from the building. I could feel myself shivering, but I couldn't feel anything, so I couldn't have been cold. And then it was as if I was pierced right through my stomach; but I couldn't feel the pain. I watched as my hand touched the wound, layering my hand with what I knew had to be my own blood. I began to dangerously lean backwards, about to fall off the cliff. I wanted to scream, but no sound came out. It was like I wasn't in the scene, but rather witnessing it, and couldn't do anything about it. When I slipped, I saw a flash of silver as I fell down the building, as if in slow motion. A familiar object followed after me and I shifted my gaze to see its tall, slender handle, and its sharp red and black arch at the top. It swiveled toward me—_the scythe_—and all of a sudden, another flash of light, and instead, a hand reached out to me, grabbing onto my own bloody hand. I blinked away the blurriness and saw him for the first time.

His white, spiky hair seemed to clash with the dark shadow of the moon. His dark red eyes were glinting with mixtures of emotions; hope, happiness, fear. His face was scrunched up in worry, his mouth parted open slightly—but wide enough for me to see his sharp, pointy teeth. He pulled me into his body, and I felt the scratches and holes of his clothes. He whispered my name, and _only _whispered, before we hit the cold ground; but with that, I was jolted awake and bit my tongue hard before I could even scream.

I could taste the blood in my mouth and let my poor tongue go. I was panting hard, trying to remember clearly what I had just dreamed about. I realized my hands were outstretched in front of me, as if I was grasping onto some invisible handle.

And that's when I took off; out of my bed, and out of the living room, heading directly towards the library.

_I must be the luckiest person alive_, I had thought to myself, because it was probably around four in the morning, and I had just slammed the doors of the library open, only to jolt awake a sleeping Kid.

"Kid," I whispered, as I panted at the doorway.

He only stared at me in shock, head still on the desk in front of him, books spread out everywhere—but then he came to his senses and snapped the book he was lying on closed; and then he threw it across the room. I wanted to ask why he did that, but shrugged it off. I had more important stuff to talk about.

"Maka… it's… four in the morning… what could you possibly want at this hour?" he asked, slightly exasperated, but still sleepy.

"I had a…dream…" I said, still panting.

"Oh lovely… and you wish to tell _me_ about it? Was it really a dream? A nightmare, maybe?" Kid asked sarcastically. Okay, Kid in the early mornings… not a very nice Kid.

"No!" I yelled, marching towards his surprised figure, "It was a dream! Or I wish it wasn't, but I need your help!"

"I'm not the most amazing therapist, Maka, but if you insi—"

I grabbed two fistfuls of his collar and decided to just be straightforward, "I dreamt of my weapon."

"Dr-dreamt? Weapon? I don't understand. You know, it's far too early in the morning. I think you should go back to sl—"

"I need your help. I need you to draw him for me." I continued.

"What! No, never! I mean, I don't even know what he looks like in the first place!" Kid gulped. "And I don't think it's a very good idea ei—"

Kid paused when I looked up; and I wondered if it was because I was crying. Yes; the stinging tears fell from my face, even after I tried to hold them back.

"I think he saved me," I whispered hoarsely, "And he was a scythe. I… I really don't want to forget him. Please. I don't think anything like him exists, at all. Just… just do this for me, just this once,"

"Please…" I said again, letting go of his collar, my shoulders shaking.

I heard Kid sigh tiredly before standing up and walking past me. I heard the door slam behind me and I clenched my teeth in sorrow; but then I heard shuffling and grunting, and when I turned around, Kid was there, his signature sketch board set up in front of him. He eyed me curiously, as if doubting me, holding his sketching pen up.

"Well… where do I begin?" he asked.

I told Kid all about him. And in the most detailed way I could.

The most important detail of all: his type of weapon.

"A scythe," I said, with no hesitation. Kid nodded at this and said he had expected much. "The colors... the handle was silver. And the arch was long; black on one side, and red in the other, as if in a zigzag form."

Kid nodded, tracing a few things. And then I went into detail on his human form.

How his hair looked like the first snow; and although it was spiky and looked rough, it was soft and smooth, bending more towards the left than the right.

How his eyes were downcast, as if tired, but his eyebrows were scrunched, as if glaring—and his light, sleepy smirk with just a bit of his shark-like teeth.

Kid raised an eyebrow questioningly at me, but I grinned sheepishly, shrugging.

"What was he wearing?" Kid asked.

I frowned. "I… don't remember. Sorry. All I know is that his clothes were torn."

"Oh my shinigami, don't tell me you dreamt of—"

"Kid! No way! That's just wrong in every way!" I exclaimed, blushing and clasping my hands together nervously.

"So what was the occasion then?" Kid asked with a light smile.

"Uh, uh…" I tried to remember, but after Kid's comment, I couldn't think straight. "Sorry… it's blurry. I mean, I usually forget dreams the minute I wake up, so it's a surprise that I can remember what this guy looks like. So caring… ready to be there for me… Loyal…" I drifted off.

Kid nodded. "Yes, please, go on with the traits. Maybe his body form while we're at it?"

I blushed some more, if that was possible, and I continued, "I… I'd **want** him to be those, at least. And uh, say, chivalrous, smart and courteous?"

"Sorry, but the way you described how he looks and those traits don't seem to match at all," Kid laughed, sketching some more.

Kid tapped his index finger on his pencil, and then said, "Well, let's say you meet him in the next weapon-meister convention. How about I draw him in a suit?"

I smiled. "Sounds nice."

"Believe me… it will be. I'll make sure of it." Kid muttered, and started to sketch again. I bent to the side to see what he was doing but he only glared. He didn't want me looking at it in case I questioned his "symmetry"… jeez.

Silence ensued for the longest time as I patiently waited for Kid to finish.

After a yawn, I looked to the side and stared at the clock on the wall. It was only six. Two hours had passed, and I was still dead tired. My eyes began to close slowly and I lay my head forward against the desk.

What happened next was unbelievable.

The desk I was lying on jerked backwards and I flew across the room, running into a pile of books. I opened my eyes, trying to survey my surroundings. I spotted Kid on the other side against the wall, jumbled up in his now messed up sketch board. On the floor was the finished drawing, where a dark light appeared from it.

Slowly, small fragments began to form from the dark light, and it slowly began to form a figure of something. _Or someone_, I thought, as the form turned into one of a firm, toned human male.

Back towards me, I gawked, standing up in surprise. There he was, in a black and gray pinstripe suit; with a red formal shirt underneath, and a black, silky necktie.

Slowly, he began to stretch, cracking his knuckles and running a hand through his hair. Then, he turned to face me, my emerald eyes meeting his familiar ruby ones, a grouchy look on his face. There was a small pause before he started to slowly walk towards me, with a sort of swagger, hunched back and all.

_Fear_, I thought. That was definitely what I was feeling as his dangerous form grew closer. I stepped backwards, and clumsily slipped on the pile of books, falling down again. I looked down at the book that lay in front of me.

_A Shinigami's Powers – The Perfect Weapon_, it said, _written by Eibon_

I reached out to grab the book before a hand stopped me. The familiar touch sent jolts of electricity to my skin and I looked up, startled. He was there, on his heels, crouching down in front of me. I was speechless as he glared into my eyes.

"No introductions would be rude," he began, his voice deep and husky, "and that's totally uncool."

I gulped, trying my best to stare him down, but failing.

He glared at me some more. "Alright then, flat-chest. I'm Soul Eater Evans. And I'd like to know what the hell I'm doing here."

I would've Maka-chopped him right there and then… if it weren't for the tightening of his grip on my arm.

-END OF CHAPTER 1—

**A.N./ Well, hehe. BLINK BLINK. I know, this chapter is the rather boring Chapter and introduction of characters, but aren't all first chapters the boring ones? And it gets better and better later on? (HINT HINT)**

**And well yes, I have been gone for so long, hehe xD I DIDN'T MEAN TO, but guess what?**

**OH YEAH YOU GUESSED RIGHT, CAMP ROCK 2 IS OUT! But the Sequel to Camp Rock! Twilight Style, well, I can't find a story around it from how I ended mine, but I'll definitely see what I can do.**

**So in the mean time, why not some Soul Eater huh? Twilight isn't ALL I know about. And it isn't ALL I'm addicted to. Anymore, at least. Haha.**

**I HOPE YOU GUYS HAVEN'T FORGOTTEN ABOUT MEEE.**

**And I'm sorry if this chapter is long and dragging and sorta fast paced, but I'll try to make sure the next one is a SUPERB and AWESOME one. I mean, Soul's pretty real now, isn't he? xD It's time to ****START THE STORY!**

**If only these things happened in real life T^T**

**I'm gonna leave this out here to see if it worth continuing… :D I'm gonna have to form the bad guy, too! But you know, it's sorta… well… Never mind ;) But anyways, Review if you don't mind! :)**


	2. Chapter 2

**AN: Hello, you lovely people! Thank you so much for reviewing! :D And right away, too! It truly made my day, even if it was only 3 or 4, I feel so happy! Honest!**

**Here is Chapter 2 to To No Avail, because you have motivated me to continue!**

**I hope it doesn't seem rushed or whatever; and I hope you don't get confused because I'm trying to put the plot in and all ! :D**

**Enjoy!**

**This is STILL in Maka's POV except for the last bit there, to reply to blueroseangle23 review! :D** **But don't worry; I'll let you know in BOLD letters!**

**Chapter 2 – Soul Eater Evans**

"_No introductions would be rude," he began, his voice deep and husky, "and that's totally uncool."_

_I gulped, trying my best to stare him down, but failing._

_He glared at me some more. "Alright then, flat-chest. I'm Soul Eater Evans. And I'd like to know what the hell I'm doing here."_

_I would've Maka-chopped him right there and then… if it weren't for the tightening of his grip on my arm._

"My name is **not** flat-chest!" I growled, attempting to yank my arm, but failing.

"Huh, sure fits though, don't you think?" _Soul_ muttered, and that aggravated me to no end, but I could only fidget under his gaze.

I wanted to kick him, punch him, slap him—whatever. This wasn't the person I was dreaming about at all, or was it? What if he was the one that shot me, and was just pushing me off? Though it didn't seem like it…

I tried to use my other hand to reach out for the book, but he spotted that too, and grabbed it with his other hand, pinning me down on the pile of books.

"Look, if you're so persistent on getting that damn book, just tell me your goddamn name!" Soul yelled, annoyed.

I lifted my legs and kicked upward at his stomach, causing him to let go of my hands as he was pushed backwards. He landed on his back and I heard him groan something like, "Fat ankles…jeez…"

I snapped.

_Forget the book!_ I thought, jumping up without using my hands and landing on my feet. _Forget the dream! Whoever this person is, he is __**so **__not the perfect weapon!_

I charged, yelling at the top of my lungs, towards the snow-haired boy and his eyes widened and he cursed. I was about to throw myself at him when someone grabbed my waist, causing me to fly back against the person's chest.

"Maka! Stop! He could be dangerous! I advise you stay away," I heard Kid yell at me as I pestered him to let go.

"You know, I just wanted a damn drawing!" I yelled, accidentally throwing my elbow into Kids face as he groaned, "I didn't want him to actually come to life! What the hell, Kid! Who knew he could be such an asshole!"

"Hey watch it, flat-chest!" I heard Soul say as he stood up, dusting himself, "You better listen to your _boyfriend_; I could be dangerous."

"Like hell you could be!" I growled, pulling forward but Kid just wouldn't let go! "And he is **NOT **my boyfriend! Ugh!"

"I'd say good for him then," Soul taunted, smirking, "At least he doesn't have to put up with some flat-chested girl like you who wears pigtails like she's eight!"

The doors of the library burst open and the aura that came in caused even _my_ anger to subside. Soul had frozen on the spot, eyes wide, turning around to face the one and only Liz Thompson, who was glaring down at him like he'd just bad mouthed her.

"Sorry," she whispered dangerously, as Patty and Tsubaki lined up behind her. "What did you just call my friend?"

Soul gulped.

Kid let go of my waist, walking forward silently as Soul was stunned.

Liz coughed, scratched her head, and then said…

"You're dead."

At that moment, Liz and Patty transformed into the twin Thompson pistols that they were, twirling above Soul until they reached Kid's hands. Kid immediately pointed them at Soul, and you could hear Liz yelling, **"SHOOT HIM ALREADY!"**

But Kid stayed in place when Soul looked down, smirking; his eyes hidden by his bangs. With a flash of white, Soul's right hand took the form of the scythe I had dreamt of: The black and red zig-zag style with its long arch. Soul looked up, his eyes glinting with no fear or hesitation at all. I saw pride in him; in this weapon. I stared in awe.

"It's a fight you want, huh?" Soul growled, his left arm now transforming into a perfectly symmetrical scythe like his right hand. "You guys sure aren't friendly, but at least you can entertain."

My eyes widened.

Wait.

Perfectly symmetrical?

"IT'S BEAUTIFUL! PERFECT! ABSOLUTELY STUNNING!" I heard Kid yell as Soul charged at him. Soul faltered at the comment, but kept running, and I wanted to slap my face, but I could only gawk at the moment. Kid continued to eye at him like he was a prized possession, a one-in-a-million thing, and Liz yelled at him to snap out of it. It was then that Tsubaki transformed into chain scythe and landed in my hands, ushering me to stop Soul before Kid got torn to pieces. I now gawked at her, because I didn't know how to use a chain scythe at all.

"Oh shinigami… here goes nothing," I gulped, twirling the chain before throwing the scythe across the room at Soul. It hatched on to one of Soul's scythes and I pulled back as strong as could. Soul stopped midway of Kid, but then I lost my grip, and the scythe slid across Soul's scythe. Soul continued running.

Kid's expression changed when Soul reached him, slamming his scythe-arm down onto the ground where Kid was. A loud crushing sound echoed through-out the library and dust filled the air. I coughed and I could hear Tsubaki transform beside me.

"I'm sorry, Tsubaki," I coughed, "I couldn't hold him back!"

Tsubaki shook her head, smiling, coughing, too. "Don't worry Maka. That wasn't what I wanted to do."

My eyes widened, understanding. I looked back at the scene. Soul's scythe-arm appeared stuck in a hole on the stone ground where Kid was supposed to be. I spotted a small, silver line that traveled across it. Though it was small, it was enough to snap Kid out of his faze.

Kid was on the other side of the room, now glaring down at Soul. He slowly lifted up his pistols, pointing them at Soul as he tried to get his arm out of the hole.

"Disgusting," Kid muttered.

Multiple fires of Kid's soul waves echoed through-out the library, as blast after blast hit the spot where Soul stood. It seemed to go on forever, I noted, covering my ears from the loud noise. Then Kid stopped and more dust began to subside.

My eyebrows shot up when I saw Soul sprawled on the ground, unconscious and back in human form; but another figure was protecting him in front.

"Father?" Kid asked, surprised as well, as Liz and Patty transformed back into their human forms.

Shinigami-sama smiled up at as and his cheerful voice boomed through-out the library, "GOOOOOOD MORNING TO YOU ALL!"

I cringed.

"Why must you fight so early in the morning? The racket you all are making! What a boisterous bunch!" he chuckled, eyeing his surroundings. "Quite a mess you've made, eh?"

I sheepishly waved at Shinigami-sama when he smiled my way, knowing that this was probably my fault…

"Maka dear, do you mind passing me that book you have at your feet?" he asked.

I blinked and looked down; not realizing my foot was on the book I had wanted to read.

_A Shinigami's Powers – The Perfect Weapon_ _written by Eibon_, it said.

I hesitantly picked it up, and my curiosity urged me to open it, but I couldn't disobey Shinigami-sama's orders.

I threw the book down into the hole where he was at with Soul, and he snatched it with his big gloved hands. He turned to Kid, who was pulling on his collar, gulping, as if nervous and unnerved.

"What did I tell you about this book, Kid?" Shinigami-sama asked, his eyes still seeming like he was smiling.

"To…keep it a secret," He muttered quietly, but loud enough for the entire room to hear.

"And…?" Shinigami-sama urged.

"And…not to do anything it says until I consulted you about it," Kid nodded, gulping.

"So tell me Kid," Shinigami-sama said, clasping his big white hands together with the book in between, "What exactly did you just do?"

Silence ensued.

"IT WAS MAKA'S FAULT!" Kid yelled, pointing in my direction.

"WHAT?" I yelled in surprise.

"SHE FORCED ME TO DO IT!"

"EXCUSE ME?" I asked.

"SHE USED THOSE PUPPY DOG EYES—"

"I DID NO SUCH THING!"

"AND SHE EVEN CRIED WITH GIRLY TEARS—"

I slammed my hand down onto Kid's head, chopping it _perfectly_ in between. I didn't even realize I had marched forward to where he was.

"Shinigami-sama," I pleaded, "I don't even know what Kid's talking about!"

"You asked me to _draw_ him for you, didn't you?" Kid groaned, rubbing his head.

"Now, now, stop bickering you two!" Shinigami-sama said, floating up towards us, leaving an unconscious Soul lying down below. "Kid, you have no right to blame Maka! And I'm not mad,"

"You're not?" Kid asked hopefully.

"Maybe a little," Shinigami-sama nodded.

Kid's eyes widened in fear.

"But I think Maka deserves to know why you have this book in the first place," he continued, handing the book out to me. I hesitantly took it, since they just talked about it being a private matter. I brushed my hand lightly over it, examining the odd font of the title and the firm hardbound cover.

"Well?" Shinigami-sama urged, as Kid looked down in embarrassment.

"Maka," Kid began, and I listened wholeheartedly, "…because you kept talking about…how much you wanted to find the perfect weapon. And seeing you search for years…and you're never s-satisfied… well, it kind of… uh…"

"What Kid is trying to say is…" Liz began, "We were all worried about you. We just… wanted to find a way to _help_ you…"

"So they asked me," Shinigami-sama said, pointing at himself, "if I knew anything about how to find perfect weapons. And all I could think about was the book my good friend _Eibon_ had made for me long ago."

"So he gave it to me," Kid began. "And everything was there. Personalities of perfect weapons depending on the personalities of the meister… interviews, notes, powers… and finally, the creation…"

"But Eibon is famous for making demonic weapons…" I whispered, but everyone heard it.

"Exactly… which is why…" Shinigami-sama looked at the hole.

A groan echoed from the hole and we all turned to see Soul, still unconscious. I bit my lip. Although I hated his guts…seeing him likes this…somehow made me feel guilty.

"I'm going to have to…erase Soul from this world." Shinigami-sama said.

I looked up in shock, stunned at what the Grim Reaper just said.

"W-wait, Shinigami-sama," I faltered, "I know Soul and I had a bad start but…if I dreamed about him, and he _is _the perfect weapon for me, I can learn how to put up with him!"

"I'm afraid you can't prove to me whether or not he _is _the perfect weapon for you," the Grim Reaper sighed sadly.

"No! I can!" I glared up at him, my fists shaking, "I can prove it to you! I dreamt about him! I know you know!"

"Dreams shouldn't make up reality, Maka," he sighed again.

"Let me show you," I pleaded, "Let me keep him… just for a year. Let me train with him, soul resonate with him. Let me… just…_try_…"

"It's not only if you can prove that to me, Maka," the Grim Reaper replied forcibly, "You said yourself that Eibon created demonic weapons. What if Soul turns out to be one, and eats away your soul?"

"He wouldn't!" I said, flashes of the dream passing through my mind, "he…couldn't… because Kid created him… so he can't—"

"I don't know how I did," Kid stated.

I looked at him, confused. "I don't understand. You drew him, right? So you should've been able to—"

"Eibon creates his weapons in all kinds of ways," Kid replied, "Black magic, smithing…but never drawing. I was so focused and determined after seeing you plead for your weapon, that I unmistakably used my shinigami powers as I drew…which caused the reaction with the drawing. My creation could've come out… imperfectly."

I turned my back to Kid and walked towards the open doors, close to where the drawing of Soul lay. I picked it up and looked at it. The drawing had changed, and it took the form of how Soul looked like now, laying on the floor, unconscious, his clothes slightly ripped. I turned to face them, and then walked to the hole, where Soul lay, sliding down and kneeling beside him.

"If…I can convince Soul to be my partner. Will you let me keep him?" I asked.

"Maka…please—" Kid began.

"If he agrees," I said, putting my hand on Soul's back, "and he shows no signs of being a demonic weapon…will you let me keep him?" I asked again.

Shinigami-sama and Kid shared a look, before he turned to me and said, "Well… I believe just this once is alright."  
Kid's eyes widened. "But father, Maka's safety—"

"Kid, think about it," Shinigami-sama said, "You wanted Maka to have the perfect weapon, and now she believes she does. Why not give her the chance?"

Kid stayed silent for awhile…and then he nodded, accepting his father's decision.

"But why the sudden change of heart, Maka?" Liz asked, "Didn't Soul call you all those names? And yet you still want him to be your weapon?"

"I don't want to sound cliché," I began, "but there's something about him. Even though he says all that, it's like he's joking. Like I've heard it all before, and we're just friends fooling around. It's like he's always been here."

I looked up at all of them and nodded, "Thank you all, so much," And I began to fold the paper neatly before tucking it into my pocket.

"But can we get some medical attention here before I lose my new-found weapon?"

* * *

When we arrived at the distillery, Nygus informed us that Soul's body just tired out and that he would be regaining consciousness soon. Of course, that was _after _she questioned about who the hell Soul was and where he came from.

"Yeah," I whispered, staring down at his unmoving hand. "Who the hell are you and where _did _you come from?"

"I thought I asked that question first," a hoarse voice asked.

I jumped slightly, and then fixed my eyes on his now open ones. "Oh, you're awake."

He continued to look at me, waiting for an answer and I sighed in defeat, "Maka Albarn. I'm 16 years old, and I was born here, in Death City, Nevada. You're in the distillery of Shibusen Academy… a weapon-meister school that provides peace around the world from demon souls," I inhaled for air, then spat, "Clear enough for you?"

"Crystal," Soul spat back, glaring.

I sighed, scratching my head, "Sorry…it's just…It's kind of weird for me. I've been searching for you for the longest time, so to have you just appear out of nowhere is kind of weird."

"Searching for me?" Soul asked, dumbfounded. "Do I know you?"

"No, not like that," I laughed, "To me, you're the perfect weapon."

Soul looked like he was offended, and snapped his head away from me. "Don't say it like you're praising me, it's annoying."

"Wh-what?" I asked, confused. "But, don't you want to be praised? Or do you not understand yet—"

"Nah, I understand," Soul growled, "You said this was some weapon-meister place, and I'm guessing you've been partner-less for awhile,"

"Yeah…"

"No surprise there," I heard him mutter quietly, and I was about to retort when he interrupted, "So I'm guessing I'm your last resort, so you'll decide to keep me cause I'm all you have left."

"What, no!" I yelled, standing up, "You're wrong! You don't understand at all!"

"What's there to understand?" Soul asked, sitting up a little. "It's pretty clear to me that you just want to use me. I mean, why not after seeing me turn into something so powerful?"

"For your information, you _lost _that battle," I glared, tears beginning to sting my eyes, "And don't start to judge and make any assumptions! Don't think you know everything! No matter how much I hate to say this…I really…do need you…"

"I don't need your pity. I'm used to being used." Soul muttered. "Where I'm from…things stayed that way."

I glared. "Well, don't think that it's like that here! I'm not judging you from where _you're_ from!"

Soul glared at me. "Fine. My name is Soul Eater Evans. My older brother, Wes Evans, is a famous pianist that's highly praised by everyone; _including _my parents. My father despises me for not being _just like him_, because instead I'm some monster; a human that can turn into a materialistic _thing_. Apparently, I can't play the piano for life and he'd prefer that I run away forever. I went to bed, and the next thing I knew, I was in your library," Soul scowled, "I figured he kicked me out, but believe me, I'm glad to have gotten out of that damn place."

Soul looked at me oddly before asking, "Hey…why the hell are you crying? I said I don't need your pity!"

Even though he was a male, and was nothing like Mama—the complete opposite, actually—he…He was…just like me. Or, he reminded me of me. Alone, in need of attention, and wanting to find that one thing that could get him through the day… through life. He felt like he didn't belong, and I wanted to be the one to help him out. The thought of someone else taking this opportunity away from me drove me crazy. I mean, so what if he's not a chivalrous guy that apologizes after—

"Maka, right?" he asked, and I was surprised. That was the first time he said my name.

"S-s-s-sorry," he stuttered, and I almost wobbled back down into my seat in shock, "I… lose my temper a lot. But I, uh, don't mean to. Or I do but, sometimes—hey, why are you smiling? You think this is funny?"

I was smiling at him, and genuinely smiling at him. Then I extended my hand at him and he looked at it in surprised. "What?" he asked.

"I want to be your partner," I told him straight-forwardly. "Let me show you around, help you get used to this place… get to know each other. I'm not going to use you, hell, I'm _never_ going to use you. I'm not that kind of person, so don't start judging. I've been waiting for this time for…a really long time. I would never give this chance up,"

"And I'm not lame or uncool. Give me the chance to show you that," I continued, shaking my hand, waiting for his reply.

He stared at my hand for awhile, and then smirked at me, his shark-like teeth visible as the window let the orange-light from the sunset in.

"You ought to be one heck of a partner, Maka Albarn," and he shook my hand.

* * *

**Meanwhile, with Death the Kid and Shinigami-Sama**

Shinigami-sama was staring into the mirror in the Death room quietly, as he watched Maka smile back at Soul, shaking hands.

"It appears that Soul has agreed to be Maka's partner," Shinigami-sama noted, nodding his head. Behind him, Death the Kid was looking down at the floor, wanting not to meet his father's eyes.

"Kidd-o," Shinigami-sama said, turning to face him, "You don't have to worry, you know. You're not at fault."

"I'm not worried about myself," Kid said, "I'm worried about Maka…and what I've created. How sure are you that he won't eat away her soul… like the others that Eibon created before?"

"Mind you, those were failures," Shinigami-sama pointed out, "You surprised me though. Usually, those failures would start acting up early. But this one seems to be perfectly fine."

"Of course it's _perfectly _fine," Kid muttered quietly, before saying, "But why did Eibon create those…perfect weapons?"

"_Eibon_ created perfect weapons in an attempt to help me because of my lack of deathscythes. He helped me by creating his own deathscythes; with what he thought would be perfect for me. Of course, nothing could be more perfect than an original deathscythe…"

Kid pondered over this for awhile, before asking, "Nothing can be more perfect than an original… so you're saying something happened to his creations?"

Shinigami-sama stayed silent.

"Let me guess," Kid began, "Their souls began to eat away. And not only that, but they had turned into kishin souls, too. That's why we're here…to dispose of them. And that's why they turned out to be _demonic weapons_,am I right?"

Shinigami-sama nodded; his face blank with no emotion.

"There's more?" Kid asked, perplexed.

"Quite," Shinigami-sama began. "Because this had happened… I thought maybe Eibon could also create… something better than perfect weapons…"

Kid's eyes widened.

"Something… that could _make _perfect weapons…" he continued.

Silence.

Ponder.

Result.

"You created the _perfect meister_," Kid said, glaring lightly at his father.

"Only once," Shinigami-sama stated, "Her name was Kira. And she was just like Soul. She started off fine, and continuously created the deathscythes that you know now to be in North and South America..."

_Kira?_ Kid thought, _I know that name. It's very familiar…_

"But then she hit off another direction," Shinigami-sama continued, "And the deathscythes she created turned out just like the ones before. Their souls were eaten away, and slowly, hers was, too. I disposed of her _before _she could finish the weapon she was last wielding…"

Kid's face scrunched up as he tried to remember. Then it hit him.

"This was… just recently, wasn't it?" Kid asked slowly.

Shinigami-sama's face might have been shocked if he had any eyebrows, but he continued to look at his son.

"Who was… her last weapon?" Kid asked his father.

"The last weapon Kira used before I disposed of her… was Hiroshi Lair…"

—End of Chapter 2—

**AN: HI! Are you glad I updated fast? Well, actually, I wasn't that fast. I was adding a little more details to it because I wanted it to be NIICEEE and EXCITING! :D**

**I don't think I added a disclaimer yet… so here it is. DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN SOUL EATER. Like, really, I don't. Because if I did… well… It'd probably suck, so maybe it's a good thing I don't, because I like it the way it is! :D**

**Death the Kid is one of my favorite characters of all time! His OC charms me, really, it does.**

**Hope you guys like! I'm working on Chapter 3 already! Should be out some time this week if I'm not busy with NAT reviews -_-**

**Mabuhay! :) Please review! It motivates me! *halo and wings***


	3. Chapter 3

**AN: Hi! :D Back… for more adventure, whee~**

**So, I guess that wasn't much of a shocker, right? You all remember Hiroshi Lair, the dude that tried to hit on Maka at the Weapon-Meister convention! You knowww, the blonde one? :D**

**Oh, and if you're confused about ANY part of this story, feel free to PM me about it. I'd be happy to answer your questions! :D**

**So this chapter is more on how Maka and Soul get to know each other as time passes by, so that the story makes sense later on. I just hate those stories where the guy or girl immediately falls in love with some person .**

**Sorry for the TIME ZOOM! Since the anime/manga of Soul Eater didn't actually show how Maka and Soul got to know each other, I had no clue either. So excuse me for my laziness I added cute scenes in exchange for not doing that though! Hopefully it'll be enough! Enjoy!**

**

* * *

**

**Chapter 3 – Getting to know Soul Eater Evans**

**With Death the Kid**

Death the Kid left the Death Room silently after his father's last comment.

"_The last weapon Kira touched before I disposed of her… was Hiroshi Lair…"_ His father had said. He shook his head, wanting not to believe, but it all made perfect sense.

"_Well Maka," _Kid remembered himself saying,_ "Hiroshi Lair is… not someone who gets rejected."_

"_What?" Maka asked._

"_Hiroshi Lair is a very popular student here at Shibusen Academy," he continued, "Just recently though, his previous meister had moved out, so now he's on the look out for a new one."_

Kid tapped his finger lightly on the balcony railing, where he had ended up, watching the annoying sun snooze off as it began to set.

"She hadn't moved out," he said to himself, "She was disposed of… It was just a cover-up."

Death the Kid's head snapped up, his eyes glinting with faint ideas.

"The question is… does Hiroshi know?" he asked himself, his finger now resting on the balcony railing.

He had a _lot_ of researching to do… and he was going to need help…

**With Soul and Maka, MAKA'S POV**

Soul soon was discharged from the distillery, and I waited outside as Nygus gave him a few final comments before he could leave officially.

The door opened, and Soul looked over at me. Before going to the hospital, I had changed into a simple white shirt with my fluffy, yellow jacket over it. Below, I wore a faded white skirt and ratted shoes. Soul though, had to borrow clothes from the lost and found due to his tattered clothing. All he had on was an oversized white shirt and plaid shorts that reached his knees. I muffled a laugh.

He glared at me.

"We should probably get you some clothes," I commented, pushing myself away from the wall I was leaning on.

"No, really, I'm _fine_," Soul said sarcastically, rolling his eyes.

I glared at him. "Right. Well, let's pass by my place first so I can get the money for it."

"You're joking, right?" he asked when I turned around. I turned again to face him.

"What?" I asked.

"I'm not going to use your money." He stated.

I rolled my eyes. "You're my partner now; it's the least I can do. Besides, it's not even mine… It's Spirit's…"

"Spirit?" he asked, confused. "Who's he, your _other_ boyfriend?"

"NO!" I yelled. "HE'S MY, UH… male adult guardian!"

"Your _dad_…?" Soul sung bluntly, annoyed at my childishness. "Family problems, right? Guess we _are_ one in the same…"

He walked passed me and I stared at his back. How did Soul… know about that?

"Well, you coming? I don't want to be in these clothes forever, y'know!" He called out.

"Jeez, patience is a virtue…" I muttered, following after him.

He asked me where I lived, and I told him that, honestly, it wasn't much. A simple apartment, with three rooms: a living room, and 2 bedrooms. We didn't talk much after that.

That was… until…

"MAKA-CHAAAN!" a male-attempting-to-sound-like-a-female voice said.

I cringed. _Papa_.

I dodged to the left without looking behind, knowing that Spirit was going to try to hug me, but failed. I bumped into Soul by accident, slightly tripping. He caught my arm and said, "Woah, careful."

It was like Spirit stopped mid-way through his fall.

His head slowly turned around to face a boy he did not recognize, his dark red bangs flustered over his shocked face.

Soul stared back at him. "What?"

"Maka…" Spirit began and I wanted to face-palm myself, "Who is this…_boy_?"

"My partner." I said bluntly.

Spirit began to look closely at Soul, who was smirking at the scene. When Spirit began circling him, eyeing him down, Soul's expression turned into something of what-the-hell-is-this-weirdo-doing-to-me?

"Answer me, boy," Spirit said, facing Soul directly now, "Who are you to Maka?"

Soul smirked. "Her boyfriend."

My eyebrows shot up, and I looked at Soul in shock.

"WHAT?" I would've said if it weren't for Spirit, who had said it first.

"Yeah that's right." Soul nodded, grabbing my waist and pulling me closer, "Funny, you don't know… and you call yourself her father?"

"I-I-I-BUT YOU CAN'T—" Spirit stuttered.

Soul then glared at Spirit, pulling me closer to his chest. "You know what's even funnier? That she can accept me as her partner; but can't accept you as her father."

Soul let go of my waist and began walking forward, "Let's go Maka."

I blinked at him in awe and surprise, and then quickly followed after him, leaving my father in his fits of shock.

We were silent on the way to the apartment, and I gazed at Soul all the while. I was right, this feeling was somewhat nostalgic. Soul and I hardly know each other, yet we can talk to each other like we do. And just a few minutes ago, he stood up for me, in front of my dad. What surprised me was that he knew the situation with my father. He could relate because of what he went through, too.

"Th-thank you," I said, the minute we arrived at the door to _our _apartment.

"Tsk," He put his arms behind his head, leaning on them, facing me, "I'm totally gonna get it from your old man, but that was so worth it."

"Why though?" I began and he eyes me curiously, "Why did you do it?"

Soul laughed, "To see his reaction, duh." he shrugged, "What, you thought I did it for you? No way! You see how cool I am? You think I'm gonna settle for a flat-chested girl like you!"

I _Maka-Chopped_ him then, and watched him fall to the ground, unconscious; but I kept a light smile on my face.

This seemed like a pretty good start.

_**After awhile…**_

"My head…" I heard Soul whine as I cooked dinner.

I had placed him on the couch after I knocked him out. After that, I quickly bought his clothes and dinner, and was surprised to find him _still _unconscious when I got back.

I heard shuffling of shopping bags, "What's this?" Soul asked.

"I got those for you," I said, placing the food into separate plates, "Don't complain if you couldn't choose. You were knocked out, so I just picked whatever."

Soul held up the yellow and black jacket I had picked out for him, grinning. "This is nice…" he commented, and I heard more shuffling.

I set the food on the table, glad he wasn't mad that I had knocked him out. "Well, dinner's ready. You better eat up. Tomorrow… and everyday after that… will be pretty vigorous training."

He smirked at me. "I'm sure I can handle all of that." He got up from the couch and walked to the table, looking around. "Your place isn't that bad."

"Get used to it," I said, sitting down, "You'll be here for awhile."

"You sure your Dad won't mind?" he laughed, following suit.

I smiled at him. "No."

We kept our gaze for awhile, and I knew I had made the right choice. He rubbed his hands together, quickly muttering a "Thank you for the food," before digging right in to the raw salmon.

My smile widened. Here he was, Mr. Soul Eater Evans, the partner of my _dreams_. How ironic is that?

* * *

**First Month (October)**

"This guy's nuts, no doubt about it," Soul whispered quietly to me after Stein explained what we had to do for our partner trial test.

"Believe me," I whispered back, "I knew the minute he strolled in to class…"

It was around 10 in the evening, and it was very dark outside. The clouds covered the moon, leaving only small amounts of light. Stein grinned at us, cigarette in his mouth.

"So you heard every word right?" he asked.

We both nodded.

"So you all know what to do, then?"

"Basically, you want us to find Sid in the forest and knock him out, right?" I repeated his instructions.

"And?" Stein urged.

"And I can't speak," Soul stated, then waved his hand at me, "And Maka can't see. Right, we got it. Can we go now?"

Stein tossed a black blindfold to Soul, stating, "Good luck," before he rolled off on his chair to who knows where.

I gulped. Why am _I _the one who can't see? Why can't I be the one who can't _speak_?

"Turn around," Soul instructed, lifting the handkerchief.

"Wh-what?" I asked, suddenly self-concious.

"I'm just gonna put the blindfold on," Soul grinned, "What were _you_ thinking?"

I turned around with a "hmph" and let Soul put the blindfold on me. I gulped because I could hear his slow breathing and the brush of his fingers as he tied the cloth over my eyes. I suddenly felt so…frightened….and cautious of my surroundings.

Soul whispered, "Okay, I'm gonna transform now—"

"WAIT!" I yelled, and it was rather loud. "I…I… not yet… just…please…"

I didn't know what I was so scared about. That I was weak? That I couldn't trust Soul?

Suddenly, his hand was on mine, and he whispered, "Sorry…I'll be right here."

That gave me enough comfort to move on.

I didn't know where we were when we began to walk, but I strolled uneasily. There was this feeling at the back of my neck—hell, all through-out my back—that made it seem like something was going to happen. I didn't like it. I felt so…vulnerable.

There was shuffling in the bushes, and suddenly, Soul took off into a run, dragging me behind him.

"SOUL WAIT!" I yelled, running as fast as I could to who knows where, "WHERE ARE WE GOING—"

My ankle caught on to a root of a tree, and I screamed, falling to the ground in pain.

"Maka!" I heard Soul yell, then a slap—like he put his hand over his mouth to shut himself up.

"I-I'm fine…" I muttered, attempting to stand up. Pain shot up my entire leg and I felt my face twist in agony.

"Maka…" Soul whispered into my ear, and I didn't know he walked toward me, "You're going to have to trust me…"

Soul grabbed my hand, helping me stand up. "This practice mission is _so_ stupid—"

Suddenly, my feet left the ground and I squealed as I landed on Soul's back. _Piggyback?_

"Soul put me down!" I hissed. His grip tightened on my legs, indicating a _no_. He began to walk forward and I continued, "Soul, please, this doesn't help."

It was true. I felt even _more_ vulnerable now. For one thing, I can't walk. For another, my back was even MORE out there, leaving anyone to just come out and grab me.

"I feel so vulnerable…" I admitted, whispering.

"I won't let anything happen to you…" Soul said, quiet but firm. "_Trust me_."

Suddenly, I heard footsteps charging at us from behind, and I tightened my grip on Soul's shoulders. "SOUL!"

Soul turned around swiftly, and I heard a slash of clothing as he jumped back, landing on his feet.

"Are you alright, Maka?" he asked.

"Soul, what about you—!"

"Trust me… I'm alright."

"LIAR! Put me down right now!"

"No way Maka, you're injured—"

"TRUST ME!" I yelled, leaning my forehead on his back. "_Trust me_…"

It was then that he put me down, and I tested my ankle, checking where it hurt the most. So long as I didn't run around so much, I think I would be just fine.

I heard Soul transform into a scythe and I raised my hand, grabbing the firm handle. I swiped it across and stayed in position.

"Left!" I heard Soul yell, and I swiped in that direction. I felt the scythe make contact and then the footsteps changed direction.

"BEHIND YOU!"…and I used the back-end of the scythe to plunge into Sid's stomach.

I felt my blindfold leave my eyes and blinked at the sudden light. "What the—"

I ducked when Sid slashed across my head, jumping backwards. "Sorry…" Soul said, "We work better this way. Just beat the crap out of him already."

I grinned at my partner's request, knowing that even if we did, we had failed the test.

After a few minutes, Stein stopped the battle, calling Soul and I over.

"Congratulations," Stein commented, clapping his hands, "You pass…"

"Wh-what?" I asked.

Soul grinned at me, whispering. "Don't question it; just leave it as it is."

"You were able to realize the true meaning of partnership…" Stein said, "Knowing what was best for both of you. A compromise. Obviously, both of you worked better when you ignored your tasks."

He dismissed us, and Soul and I walked home quietly.

I looked over at Soul, suddenly realizing that his clothing was slashed, with small spots of blood marking it.

"HEY—!" I began, and he raised a hand to stop me.

"It's cool, don't worry about it." He said, yawning.

"How can you be so—!"

"Trust me," Soul grinned at me, shifting his hands into his pockets. "I'm fine."

I sighed, annoyed. _Trust_ was a _very_ strong word.

"We're fixing that up when we get home!"

"Aww…Maka—!"

* * *

**Second Month (November)**

I stared at the clock with a deadly glare, watching the hands pass by every minute after 12 in the evening. I drummed my fingers against the armrest of the couch impatiently—but at the same time, nervous and worried.

From out the window, I heard a booming laugh—one that could only be recognized as Black Star's.

I seethed in anger.

I abruptly stood up and walked over to the window, slamming it open angrily. The laughter stopped.

_WHACK!_ "I told you to be quiet!"

"I DON'T TAKE ORDERS FROM ANYONE!"

"SOUL EATER!" I screamed, my voice a few octaves higher as it echoed through the window.

"Shit!" I heard him whisper, "Thanks a lot you IDIOT!"

"I AM NOT AN IDIOT!" Black Star yelled, rising from the bushes that they were hiding in. "I'M A GOD! A GOD!"

"BLACK STAR!" I yelled, pointing at him accusingly.

"Oh snap," he said as he looked up. "See ya later, Soul!"

"Yeah… if I'm still alive…" I heard Soul mutter as Black Star disappeared into the night.

"I HEARD THAT!" I yelled, as Soul popped out of the bushes, saluting me with a 'yo'.

"Get up here…" I growled. "NOW!" and I slammed the window closed.

A few minutes later, I heard a knock on the door. I stomped over and threw it open to find a sheepish looking Soul, smirking at me.

"You think this is funny?" I asked.

Soul shrugged, walking passed me. I stood in front of him, blocking his way.

Soul sighed, irritated. "Maka, I'm just a few hours late…"

"A few HOURS?" I growled, snapping my head to face the clock, "It's 1 in the morning! You were supposed to be back by 10!"

"Look," Soul glared, "Just because you're my MEISTER doesn't make you my MASTER; those are two different things!"

"I'm not forcing you to come home early!" I yelled, "Just let me know next time!"

"What are you, my Mom?"

"No! But I am your friend! And friends worry about one another! I was worried about you!"

"Didn't I say before that I didn't need your pity?"

"That has no relation whatsoever—"

"I CAN TAKE CARE OF MYSELF, GEEZ!" Soul spat, bumping into my shoulder roughly, causing me to fall down onto my butt. Soul's eyes widened.

"Maka…I…" Soul began.

I stood up clumsily, tears streaming down my face as he lifted his arms to help me.

I slapped them away. "You know what, next time you shouldn't even bother! DON'T COME HOME AT ALL!"

I ran into my room, slamming the door and locking it—slowly sliding, sobbing.

A few minutes later I felt something small brush against my back and I sniffed, turning around to see a piece of paper under the door.

I snatched it, opening it to find a single quote on it.

"_I was very sorry when I found out that your intentions were good and not what I supposed they were."_

I rubbed my eyes to see if I was dreaming, but the paper was right there. I bit my lip. Even though he could be such an idiot… this was beyond what I expected. Soul… _apologized_… I leaned my head against the door and sighed.

Realization hit me then.

I blinked, and raised the paper up, unfolding it again to stare at the quote. At the bottom right corner was the number 134… a _page _number… **from one of my **_**books**_…

I crushed the paper in anger. "_Soul Eater…_"

* * *

**Third Month (December)**

The minute I finished the book I was reading, Soul stepped into my room, fully dressed in a tux, holding a tie.

"Uh…Maka…" he asked, holding up the tie, "I kinda need help."

I grinned at him, walking over, surveying him. "What's with the get up?" I asked.

He raised an eyebrow. "That's what I wanna ask _you_. Why aren't you dressed yet?"

I blinked. "For what?"

"For Kid's party," he said, "some annual Shibusen party thing…"

"Oh _that_," I said, pulling the tie from Soul's hand. "I don't have a dress."

"What?" Soul asked. "Well, say so sooner! I'll just stay home then—"

"No!" I yelled, throwing the tie over his head, pulling him closer, "G-go to the party. You should have some fun."

"What's so fun about a party when there aren't any _fun _people?" Soul muttered.

"What was that?" I asked, blushing as I tied his tie.

"Nothing," Soul coughed. "You don't have a dress?"

"Uh, yeah," I lied, remembering the one and _only_ dress I had at the very back of my closet. "Never bothered buying one. Didn't think I needed it."

Soul nodded. "Uh-huh…you're a horrible liar."

"I don't have one, okay?" I said, pulling on his tie roughly as it choked him. He coughed and I adjusted it slightly.

Soul watched me as I plopped myself back onto my bed. "Go on without me…your date's probably waiting, huh?"

I regretted saying what I did. I sounded so…jealous… What did that _mean_? That I was a hindrance and that his date was more important?

Soul eyed me curiously, then leaned against my doorframe, arms over his head. "Nah, my date's not even ready yet."

I raised an eyebrow. _So he did have one_… "Well, what time is the party?"

Soul checked his watch. "It starts in 10 minutes."

I rolled my eyes. _What was his date aiming for, to be fashionably late?_ "What kind of a date isn't ready 10 minutes before the party?"

"I'd like to ask her that." Soul stated, staring at me.

"So ask her," I muttered, opening the previous book I was reading.

"What kind of a date isn't ready 10 minutes before the party?" he asked…me.

I blinked. _Oh_.

"Are you…" I grinned suspiciously, "saying _I'm_ your date?"

Soul looked around the room, and out the living room. "Oh gee, I don't know, see anyone _else _here?"

I smiled up at him. "We're going to be late."

"Fashionably late?" he asked.

I smiled wider, and jumped out the bed, walking over to him and pushing him out the door.

"Hey-hey, Maka, what the hell are you doing—"

"I'm getting ready, so get out!" I told him, slamming the door closed.

My hand slowly reached up to touch my face, and I felt that it was rather hot. I leaned my forehead against the door. Soul, you _idiot_…

—END of CHAPTER 3—

**A/N: Hi Guys! Okay, I hope you enjoyed those mini-one shots. The story starts up again in the next chapter :D This chapter was supposed to be 10 pages long, but I put the rest of it in the next chapter!**

**The quote that Soul ripped out of one of Maka's books was said by Sitting Bull—and it does NOT belong to me whatsoever. SOUL EATER DOES NOT BELONG TO ME EITHER.**

**But, I **_**do**_ **own Hiroshi Lair and Kira. :D Yes… yes I do.**

**I seem to uploading chapters in a pattern… every 5 days… hmm… coincidence?**

**THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR YOU REVIEWS! I will say it again, but they really motivate me! :D I love you guys!**


	4. Chapter 4

**AN: Oh happiness and joy! Thank you guys again for reviewing! (You know, I'm going to keep thanking you every time so GET USED TO IT. xD)**

**I hope you enjoyed the MakaxSoul-ness… I really love that couple to DEATH. (ehem PUN intended)**

**Sorry for the delay here, this would be a one day delay… :( I was actually waiting for the reviews to reach 20, but since it wasn't happening anytime soon, I decide to continue on haha… Also, my friend had a party today and I made sure to attend. And I was getting confused to where the story was going, but late last night I was able to make a nice plot line, so this story ends around Chapter 10. :D Yes, I have it all set. Oooo the drama!**

**[SPOILER SUMMARY FOR THIS CHAPTER]**

**So in this chapter, Kid seems to have found out what his father wanted with deathscythes, and he teamed up with Stein to research more on perfect weapons and meisters. They decide to go and interrogate someone who may know if Kira is still alive. Meanwhile, some Soul-jealousy and a BIG BIG SURPRISE FOR ALL OF YOU IN THE MIDDLE-ISH :D So go read! Wheeee!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Soul Eater :(**

**But I DO own Hiroshi Lair and Kira. Yes, yes I do.**

**

* * *

**

**Chapter 4 – A Messy Interrogation**

**Fourth Month (January) With DEATH THE KID**

_Knock knock knock_

"Come in…" an eerie voice called out. _Creak, creak_.

The door swooshed open, and Kid stepped in, a pile of books on one hand, tucked to his side, while his other hand held documents, annals and papers.

Kid sighed out of exhaustion, and walked forward; placing the items he had in his hand on a tall table neatly.

_Creak, creak._

"Honestly," Kid muttered, piling the last book, dusting his hands, "Don't you have Marie-sensei living with you? And yet your place is still a mess…"

_Creak, creak_. "Feel free to fix it if you want, Kid."

"I think I can restrain myself." Kid muttered, "So, Stein-sensei… I got what you wanted me to get. Where's your share of the compromise?"

Stein grinned, a piece of paper flying out of his printer.

Kid raised his eyebrow, picking it up.

_Soul Eater Evans_, it read, _Student Progress Report_

Another paper came flying out.

_Hiroshi Lair – Student Progress Repot_

"They both seem to be doing just fine," Stein commented.

Kid placed the two new pieces of paper along with the rest of the pile of research, tapping his index finger to his chin.

"Why didn't you tell your Father about this Kid?" Stein asked, rolling his chair closer to where Kid was standing. "He's bound to find out, y'know."

"Father restrained me to that _one_ book," Kid said, "I could tell. There are more books…meaning there's something he doesn't want me to find out."

"Something he doesn't want _us_ to find out." Stein corrected.

"Whatever it is, I _plan_ to find out." Kid grabbed a book titled _Shibusen Academy Over the Years_, and opened it, scanning through certain years.

"Four or three years ago…" he muttered, and then found the section.

_Shibusen Academy Meisters_

Kid pointed at a picture of a brunette girl with long, wavy hair and dark green eyes, showing it to Stein. Stein nodded, amused. "_That's_ Kira?"

Kid then grabbed one of the recent articles, and scanned until he almost reached the last page. "Read this article about Kira…"

Stein scanned over it. It talked about Kira's moving out of Shibusen to study at a different school abroad.

"Alright," Stein said, making a face, "So obviously, this was a cover up for your father. He disposed of her, right?"

"Right, but from this article, people would think she _moved_…right?"

"So saying she moved… means she still has to be at that school abroad? And alive?"

Kid nodded, "And if that is true, then shouldn't people be suspicious?"

"Why so?" Stein asked.

"Kira was popular, obviously! She created deathscythes! Surely she'd have a lot of friends…!"

"Are you saying that… her friends should be able to contact her?"

"Not that they _should_ be. That they _are _in contact with her."

Stein raised an eyebrow.

"I don't think…my father disposed of her." Kid slowly stated.

"Your father," Stein growled, "would not let such a dangerous creature wander around the world freely."

"Then if my father _did _dispose of her…then someone else must've revived her."

"Why do you keep insisting that Kira is still alive?"

"My father used Kira to create the weapons that he wanted for himself—surely he'd still want that power. Just because he doesn't _act_ like a grim reaper doesn't mean he isn't one."

"But who else could possibly have the necessary powers to do that? You have no proof whatsoever if anyone truly _is _in contact with her."

Kid nodded. What Stein said was true, but the problem was that _he_ was also able to create a weapon—that being Soul. If _he_ was capable of doing that, then shouldn't anyone else be able to? Sure he was the son of Shinigami-sama but… there were definitely _other_ ways…

Kid stared at Hiroshi Lair's profile paper that lay on top of everything else on the table. "Then there's only one way to find out…"

Stein looked over to where Kid was looking at. "You're going to ask Hiroshi? Honestly—as if he'd tell you."

Kid nodded. "That's true… therefore some interrogation is necessary."

"You don't suppose you could persuade him all by yourself, do you?"

Kid tapped a finger to his chin, thinking about his good, pig-tailed friend. "Well… I might know someone he'd give in to…"

"And that would be…?"

* * *

**MAKA'S POV**

I was leaning against my locker, staring silently at the moving drawing of Soul. He wore his yellow and black jacket today—and it seemed to be his favorite. His head would turn every now and then, as if he was looking for someone—

"Maka!" a voice called out, and I turned around, watching a set of blonde hair flash down the stairs.

"Oh, Hiroshi!" I called out, quickly tucking the drawing of Soul into my pocket. He was panting, walking over to me, with a smile.

"It's been awhile since we've talked," he laughed, scratching his head.

I smiled at him. "Actually yeah, kinda. How've you been? Any luck with a meister?"

"Nah, not really," he waved his hand. "But that's alright, I'll wait for next school year."

"That's true, this year is almost ending, and Soul and I haven't even started on any missions yet!" I laughed.

Hiroshi's expression shifted slightly, but I figured I was imagining things since he was still smiling. "Yeah, Soul right? Your new weapon?"

I suddenly felt guilty for bringing it up, since I had rejected him a few months ago, "Er—right. Yeah."

"You've been in training for awhile huh?"

"Well, our Soul Resonance would be perfect if he stopped bickering with me all the time," I commented, "Other than that, it's all good. You haven't met him yet, have you?"

Hiroshi raised his eyebrows, "Oh, uh, yeah, guess not."

"I should introduce you!" I laughed, "Why don't you come on over for a chat the next time I'm with him?"

Looking back, whenever Hiroshi came up to talk to me, Soul was never with me. I guess Hiroshi had really bad timing or something. **(AN: Yeah right, Maka.)**

Hiroshi nodded hesitantly, then looked around the hall, scanning the passing students who were chattering all the way.

"Yeah, uh, but hey," Hiroshi began, turning to face me, "I was wondering, y'know, if you had any plans later today?"

I blinked. "Oh, me?" I asked, looking behind me.

He laughed. "Yeah, silly. I was wondering if you wanted to…maybe grab something to eat? I could drop you off after if you'd like!"

I opened my mouth to respond, but a hand lay on my shoulder and I turned to see my partner, glaring over at Hiroshi.

"Sorry," he said lightly, his grip tightening, "She's been called to the distillery. She's busy right now."

"W-wait," I said, confused, "Right _now_?"

Soul glared at me. "Yeah. They want us right _now_."

I bit my lip, staring at the two of them, as they both stared at me. "Uh… you guys… haven't met before, have you?"

"Don't think I want to…" I heard Soul mutter quietly, and I elbowed his stomach.

"_Well_," I began, "Hiroshi, this is Soul, my partner. Soul, this is Hiroshi, a good friend of mine."

Hiroshi stared at Soul with no emotion, their eyes holding for a bit, and then he gave him a slight nod. Soul raised his eyebrows.

Hiroshi turned to face me, smiling again, "I guess you have to go then, huh, Maka? Maybe we can hang out next time!"

"Yeah," Soul said, tugging me back, "_Maybe_…"

"See you around, Hiroshi!" I called, before Soul grabbed my hand and pulled me away. Hiroshi waved once, turned his back and stalked off. I frowned, facing Soul.

"Hey, you could've been a bit nicer, you know," I muttered.

Soul let go of my hand. "What, don't tell me you were going to _agree_?"

I bit my lip. _I definitely wasn't…was I?_

Soul stopped, turning to face me. "You were?"

"We're just friends." I admitted. "What's it to you?"

"Pfft. I could care less—" Soul stopped, staring intently at my pocket.

"What the hell is that?" he asked, and I realized the drawing was sticking out of my pocket.

I gasped and covered it with my hand, tucking it into my pocket more. "It's nothing!"

This was the hardest part. Not letting Soul know he was just a drawing. If he ever found _that_ out, he'd go berserk on me. I mean, if you found out that you weren't a real human, and that fire, an eraser or rain could destroy you, how would you feel? If Soul found out that his 'life force' was in my hands and not his own and if I let anything happen to it… he'd never forgive me. He thinks the reason he's here is because his dad kicked him out of the house. But then, considering the way he just appeared out of nowhere (in a tux, none the less)…it must have slipped his mind…

"Did that Hiroshi guy give that to you?"

I looked up at Soul, who wasn't even looking at me when he asked. His head was facing away from me, as if staring off into space.

"So you _do _care!" I announced.

He turned his back to me. "Let's just get to the damn nurse already!"

I raised my eyebrows. "You were serious about that?"

He didn't answer and kept walking. I followed after him. "Why would Nygus want us, anyway?"

Soul looked at me oddly and growled, "What, do I _look_ like I know?"

Okay… Soul was ticked off today.

I decided to think to myself so that I wouldn't aggravate Soul's odd behavior. I rarely get injured, so I never really go to the distillery. Nygus didn't really ask us to come in for check ups…so…If it wasn't Nygus that wanted us there; then…

_That's right_, I thought.

I remember another nurse who attended the first weapon-meister convention. She was the one that gave me my nametag and we chatted for quite awhile. She talked about having to go away for awhile, but wanting to meet again when she came back… _what was her name?_

I didn't notice we arrived until Soul knocked on the door.

"Come in!" a familiar, silky voice called out.

As Soul opened the door, I immediately recognized her. She was sitting on the stool, with the same light brown-hair that was braided forward. Her familiar, yellow, snake-like eyes met mine and she smiled sweetly.

"Maka! It's so nice to see you again!"

"Same here! This is a big surprise," I grinned.

"And this must be your dear partner, am I right?" she asked, her eyes glinting with curiosity over to Soul, who looked tense. "Oh, I'm so happy for you Maka!"

"You know her, Maka?" Soul asked quietly.

I nodded. "Soul, I'd like you to meet Medusa-sensei!"

Soul's eyes seemed to shift and they seemed darker, "Nice to meet you."

Medusa crossed her fingers together. "And you too, Mr. Soul Eater. I'm Medusa—the official school nurse."

* * *

**With Death the Kid and Stein**

They scanned the halls quickly, searching for a set of messy blonde hair of a certain someone. They would spot a few people every once in awhile that looked like him, but they were sure it couldn't have been, since they lacked his eerie silver eyes.

"Do you think he took off?" Stein asked, rolling along on his chair.

"No," Kid said, looking over another classroom door, "There's no reason for him to. No one else could possibly know about this."

"So once we get Hiroshi, what exactly are you going to ask him?"

Kid stopped and closed the door. "About Kira of course…"

"All of sudden? Just like that?"

Kid stared at Stein. "No. Interrogation is being in a calm and subtle manner while asking about what you want to find out. You don't scare them away like—"

"Oh, I found him." Stein commented, pointing behind Kid.

Kid whirled around and began yelling, "HIROSHI LAIR! I HAVE SOME QUESTIONS THAT I—"

No one was there.

Kid glared and whipped his head back at Stein. Stein shrugged. "You sure are inexperienced about this."

Kid slapped his head. "I always let Patty do the interrogating."

Oh yes. _Patty_.

Stein raised an eyebrow. "How about I handle it, then?"

Kid nodded. "But make sure I ask questions too—"

"Oh, I found him." Stein said again, pointing behind Kid once more.

Kid glared. "I may not be the brightest student at Shibusen, but I'm not an idiot, Stein—"

Stein whirled passed Kid on his chair, leaving Kid to blink in surprise. When Kid turned around, Stein was rolling towards a boy that faced the other way—unaware of the danger he was about to experience.

"Just great…" Kid muttered, quickly chasing after Stein.

The minute Stein reached out to grab Hiroshi, Hiroshi disappeared, causing Stein to run into the lockers. Kid stopped in his tracks.

"Hmmm?" a voice called out from above, and when they looked up, Hiroshi was on top of the lockers, looking down at the mess Stein made. "You know, the students won't like it very much when they find their locker's in a mess."

"Hiroshi Lair," Kid said calmly, "We mean you no harm—"

"See, when you say _that_, it means you _do_." Hiroshi shrugged, and then glared at Kid. "Death the Kid, right? Shinigami-sama's son. What could you _possibly_ want from me?"

"Information about your previous meister," Stein commented, stepping away from his now broken chair, beside Kid. "Kira."

Hiroshi's glare darkened and he shifted his position on the lockers, sitting down on them. "What about Kira?"

"We know about who she really is," Kid stated, and Hiroshi raised an eyebrow, "So you have to tell us about her currently."

"She moved to a different school—"

"And what school would that be?"

"How should I know?"

"We know that she created deathscythes and was popular with everyone. She should still be in contact with people."

"S-she didn't leave a _single_ phone number—"

"Why did she choose _you_ to be her next weapon? Did my father give that permission?"

"Y-your father? Since when did your father plan everything around here—"

"Since he created Kira to be the perfect meister," Kid stated, and Stein looked at him—like he was going too far, but Kid continued, "So that she could create deathscythes out of the weapons that HE wanted. And he chose you."

"YOU'RE CRAZY," Hiroshi yelled, "Kira chose me on her own!"

"But do you know what that would've done to you? Do you know what was happening to Kira?"

"IT'S NOT HER FAULT THAT SHE TURNED OUT JUST LIKE EVERY OTHER CREATION LIKE HER!"

It was silent after Hiroshi's last comment.

"So you knew about her too, then?" Stein asked.

Hiroshi's expression changed, and then he casually raised his arm towards Stein and Kid. Stein tensed, but Kid was unaware—

"You know too much."

Hiroshi's arm flashed and it turned into a crossbow, aiming at Stein and Kid. Kid was stunned by the sudden transformation, and Hiroshi fired the crossbow.

It was odd, because he missed. The arrow hit the floor directly below them.

_Beep beep beep…_

Kids eyes widened in realization, and he looked up to find Hiroshi gone. "Explosive arrow tip—?"

_BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOM!_

_

* * *

_

**With Soul and Maka, MAKA POV**

"So, where'd you go exactly, Medusa-sensei?" I asked, sitting down on one of the beds. Soul leaned against the wall beside me. "You were gone for quite awhile."

"Five months, I believe," Medusa giggled, "I was busy…doing something."

From the corner of my eye, I saw Soul's eyes shift again.

"What were you doing exactly?" he asked.

Medusa looked over at Soul, still smiling, "I met up with a dear friend of mine. She was very sick, and as a nurse, I decided to help her out."

"Is she okay now?" I asked, worried.

Medusa smiled wider. "Perfectly fine, now that I've healed her."

I sighed in relief. "Well, that's good! How long have you two known each other?"

"Oh, not that long," Medusa waved her hand, "But we were able to get to know each other more during those months. I'm very happy I was able to heal her."

She sighed, leaning on her arm. "But enough about me! Tell me about you, Maka! How did you meet Soul?"

I looked over at Soul who was glaring out the window.

"Kinda complicated…" I muttered.

Soul leaned off the wall, muttering, "I'll be right outside," and walked out the door, slamming it behind him.

Medusa raised an eyebrow. I grinned sheepishly. "He…he thinks the reason he's here… is because his father kicked him out."

"Thinks?" Medusa questioned with playful curiosity, "There's another reason?"

I bit my lip, reaching into my pocket to pull out the drawing of Soul. I passed it to her and she opened it up. Soul's drawing had changed, like he was leaning against something—and I was willing to bet that it was the door. His arms were crossed and he looked angry, his lips moving occasionally, as if muttering incoherently.

"This is…" Medusa's eyes widened, "Phenomenal."

I nodded. "Actually… Soul isn't really from this world. Kid just… happened to create him. He's like… a perfect weapon for me. Ah… it's really complicated."

It was like Medusa was a whole different person when she smiled—because this smile was _different_. It felt…weird. "No, I understand. And this drawing is him right now. He came to life—and you're keeping the truth from him."

I nodded, guilty.

_BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOM!_

"What the hell was that!" I heard Soul yell from out the door.

I stood up abruptly. "An explosion?"

Medusa stood up as well, "What's going on?"

Soul opened the door, "Maka! It's Kid! We gotta help him out!"

I turned around to face Medusa-sensei. She nodded. "I'll be fine. Go!"

I ran out the door with Soul—not realizing what I left behind.

Medusa raised the drawing of Soul, staring at it as Soul ran, transforming into the scythe that he was.

Medusa giggled, her eyes darkening, _"Interesting. He's just like Kira."_

_

* * *

_

When Soul and I arrived at the scene, Kid's clothes were all torn and tattered, and Stein was helping him up the floor.

"KID!" I yelled, running over. "Are you okay! What happened?"

"Maka—you need to find Hiroshi…" Kid muttered, coughing up blood.

"Hiroshi did this?" I whispered, unbelieving.

"Hiroshi knows things," Stein looked up. "About perfect weapons. It's hard to explain now, but we'll let you know later. He's just about to exit the gates of Shibusen. Go!"

I nodded, turning around. Hiroshi knew things about perfect weapons? He knew things about Soul? I was so confused, because Kid never told me anything about this before. The only thing he told me was that there used to be others—others like Soul—that had gone evil. What was so important that Hiroshi knew that led to _this_?

"Maka, there he is!" Soul yelled, and I spotted him running down the long staircase of Shibusen Academy.

"HIROSHI!" I yelled after him, running as well, skipping every other step.

He turned around, aiming his arm at me—which was a crossbow—and I stared in shock. His eyes widened, and he shifted his arm slightly, the arrow flying past my face and behind me.

He stopped in place, putting his arm down. "MAKA?"

I slashed Soul in front of me for protection, my legs shaking at what just happened. "What's going on? Kid said you knew something… about perfect weapons!"

This was a tough topic to talk about. Especially since Soul was right here… He was bound to find out sooner or later.

Hiroshi pointed his arm back at us, shaking it slightly. "Don't make me do this Maka—I don't want to!"

"You don't have to shoot!" I yelled, stepping forward a bit. He stepped back.

"They know too much! It's not even any of their business!" Hiroshi gritted his teeth, "And it's none of yours either!"

I walked forward slowly, and Hiroshi stayed in place. "Listen, I don't know what Kid wants, but we can talk this out, we really can—"

"Oh yeah?" Hiroshi asked sarcastically, "Of course we can talk this out. We can definitely talk about perfect weapons—and how they can eat away their meister's soul… just like that _pathetic partner of yours!_"

Soul disappeared from my hands as he transformed back into his human form, yelling and throwing himself at an unaware Hiroshi. He knocked Hiroshi down and they rolled down the remaining steps.

"SOUL, DON'T!" I yelled, running after them. Soul threw a punch at Hiroshi and Hiroshi dodged it to the left, he kicked Soul off of him and Soul landed on his back. Both of them stood up and continued to fight—as I watched, horrified, yelling at them to stop. Hiroshi began to aim his crossbow at Soul and my eyes widened. I tackled Soul to the ground and the arrow whizzed past my head, sticking to the wall on the other side.

_BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOM!_

Soul wrapped his arms around my head as he shielded me from the flying debris.

"WHAT ARE YOU, NUTS?" Soul yelled, leaning up, wrapping an arm around my waist. "YOU COULD'VE HURT HER!"

"JUST YOU WAIT!" Hiroshi spat back, "YOU'LL END UP HURTING HER SO BAD YOU'LL WISH YOU NEVER WERE BORN!"

"I would NEVER hurt Maka!" Soul growled, his grip tightening.

"Quit the commotion! Both of you stop this now!" I yelled, slightly blushing from both frustration and embarrassment.

It was tense as the dust settled, all of us breathing heavily.

Stein's figure appeared as he walked down the stairs. Hiroshi stepped back.

"Oh yes, do leave now and miss this great opportunity," Stein muttered sarcastically, tucking his hands into his pockets.

Hiroshi continued to step back and then rammed into a bloody Kid, who was glaring down at him, arms crossed.

"Like I have a choice..." Hiroshi muttered, staring back at Stein.

"Great, since everyone's here, let me sum everything up so you all understand the situation! The information you are about to hear is completely confidential. Even the Grim Reaper himself has no idea that we know about this. A few years back, Shinigami-sama and Eibon created perfect weapons in replace for the lack of deathscythes. But because of the weapons' sudden power and greed for more, their souls were eaten away. This caused Shinigami-sama to rethink the situation and create a perfect _meister_. By doing so, we have a theory that he used this in his power so that he could choose the weapons he wanted beforehand, and let the perfect meister handle the 99 kishin souls and 1 witch soul. There was only ever one perfect meister—and that was Kira. Though she had created many deathscythes, her soul was slowly eaten away by her power as well. Shinigami-sama immediately disposed of her, but the last weapon, unfortunately, to be in her grasp, was Hiroshi,"

He waved his hand toward Hiroshi and continued, "The problem? We believe Kira is still alive. And if her soul has been eaten away, she could cause many others to be at the same risk. Hiroshi here is lucky enough that his soul didn't rot away," Stein walked over to Hiroshi, and then grabbed his collar, "And we believe he knows her whereabouts."

Stein leaned in closer to Hiroshi, "Now tell us the truth. _Do you know where she is_?"

Hiroshi stayed silent, grinding his teeth. Stein shook his collar roughly and repeated the question, "Do you know where she is, Hiroshi?"

"Hiroshi…please." I pleaded.

On the good side, if Hiroshi knew where this Kira girl was… I could learn more about Soul… I could learn how to keep him safe and not cause any harm to both of us.

On the bad side, this would mean this Kira girl was causing harm to many people, eating away their souls. And we'd have to dispose of her…

It didn't go unnoticed. Slowly, but surely, Hiroshi nodded.

—**END OF CHAPTER 4—**

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**AN: YEEEY :D So… Hiroshi knows where Kira is… What the hell is going to happen next, right?**

**I hope this isn't getting to complicated for all of you to understand o_O That's why I kinda put Stein there at the end to sum it up not just for Maka, Soul and Hiroshi, but for all of you guys too. Do you kinda get the gist?**

**OH OH AND MEDUSA'S BACK! YEY! (NOT) But I need her in the story :) And I left something there for you to think about. It's something she talks to Maka about :D Ohhhh, you'll find out later on. xD**

**Stupid Medusa! Give Maka her drawing back!**

**Anyways, I hope you like it. And like I said before, if you have any questions AT ALL, feel free to PM me about them, I'd be happy to answer your questions!**

**REWIEWS MAKE ME HAPPY. :D THEY MAKE ME WRITE! ^_^ Motviation! Woot! P.S. Did you know this chapter is 9 pages long! NINE! I write too much.**

**-JUSTINEEE—**


	5. Chapter 5

**AN: You see what your reviews do? xD I get to post earlier now! TEEHEE. So, this chapter is another relief chapter, like Chapter 3, so that we can chill a bit and ignore the drama and complex plot! (at least, I hope it's not tooooo complex, you know?)**

**Anyways, what you discovered last chapter: Hiroshi Lair long-ranged weapon **** A Crossbow. WICKED HUH? Can you guess where I got the explosive tip from? THAT'S RIGHT FROM BLACK OPS WOOOT! VIDEO GAMES RULE! (Disclaimer: I DON'T own Black Ops and I DON'T own Soul Eater T_T)**

**Kira is alive **** - Kira is a perfect meister, that was said to have been destroyed by the Grim Reaper, but LIVES! :O Oh my… How does she live, I wonder?**

**Medusa is BACK -**** Now, Medusa plays a BIG PART in this story. So, be on the lookout for more information. Take note, she still has Soul's drawing.**

**Soul's obvious care for Maka - **** Uhm. I don't need to explain this. :D**

**NOW, MOVING ON! A VERY IMPORTANT DETAIL: I've been having trouble (and not just me, maybe you guys too) with the switching of POV's. If I just stuck it to one POV, it might be better. I just have a hard time with Third person, but I'll definitely try it out here. Sorry for the confusion, and I'll make sure to edit the first few chapters into THIRD PERSON as well, once I'm done with this story.**

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**Chapter 5 – On the Road**

**With Soul and Maka**

After quite the revelation, Stein ordered Soul and Maka to head back home. He informed them that tomorrow, they'd be sent on a private mission with Kid and him, plus Hiroshi to point out Kira's whereabouts. He ordered them to pack, and be ready at 8 in the morning.

"What are we…going to do exactly?" Maka asked.

"We're going to dispose of her completely." Stein said.

"Why do _we_ have to go?" Soul asked, annoyed.

"We're not sure how powerful Kira is, so we're going to need all the help we can get," Stein said, walking over to Hiroshi, "And I believe Maka has some…_things_ to tell you."

Soul looked over at Maka and she bit her lip. Maka knew what Stein wanted—he wanted her to tell Soul that he was a perfect weapon. That he was just created, like Kira.

"I'm going to take Hiroshi to the nurse," Stein said, lifting him up as he struggled.

"But Kid—" Maka began.

"I'm fine, Maka," Kid said, fixing his suit, "My shinigami powers help me heal fast."

"And Soul—"

"No way," Soul muttered, "I'm not going back to that damn nurse. She ticks me off. And if _he's_ gonna be there, then no way am I going there."

"But how are you—"

Soul sighed and grabbed Maka's hand. "Just do it for me, will you, Maka?"

Maka pouted, attempting to hide the rush of blood on her cheeks. _Soul wanted me to heal him_? She thought.

"O-okay." Maka stuttered. "But I won't go easy on you!"

"Yeah, yeah, now let's go." Soul tugged on my arm.

They arrived back at the house, and Soul sat on the couch as Maka searched the cabinets for the first aid kit. After finding it under the sink, she sat beside him and began dabbing some medicine on his wounds with small, round cotton balls. He would flinch every now and then and Maka sighed. "Soul…"

He looked at her blankly. "What?"

"What do you think about Hiroshi?"

Soul grumbled. "I hate him."

"That's pretty quick to hate."

Soul glared at her. "You should hate him too. Apparently, he's been keeping some demon alive and it's eating innocent people's souls. Are you not even the _least_ bit mad at him?"

She shook her head. "I _am_ mad at him, but even _before_ we found out about that you already hated him. So why?"

Soul looked away. "Honestly?"

"Honestly."

"Well, it's pretty obvious he likes you,"

Maka almost dropped the medicine at his straight-forwardness. _What_?

"But that doesn't mean he has every right to you. I mean, can't he _see_ that you already have a weapon? And a pretty damn hot one too. He's _nothing _compared to someone like me—OUCH! DAMN IT MAKA!"

Maka dabbed harder on Soul's wound on purpose, replying, "You're starting to sound like Black Star. You know what, forget I asked."

_Figures. Soul wasn't jealous, stop being stupid Maka. Why I even _thought _of that in the first place is beyond me…_She thought, sighing.

"Stein said you were going to tell me something?"

Maka's breath hitched, but she continued to clean up the first aid kit. "Just… to be ready. This would be our first mission ever, so you better be prepared." She lied.

Soul grinned childishly, raising his hand, his thumb pointing at himself. "I won't let you down, Maka."

Maka immediately felt guilty for not telling Soul the truth. Her stomach began to do multiple flips and it wouldn't stop. She felt that _somehow, _she was breaking the trust in their partnership. _Then again_, she thought, _I've broken it the minute we started it_…

Maka reached into her pocket to pick out the drawing, only to find it not there. Her eyes widened in worry, as she tried to replay the last few events on where she might've left it. Did she leave it in the bathroom? Drop it as she chased Hiroshi? Or… _I left it at Medusa's_… she thought, face-palming herself for being so irresponsible. _Surely she'd take care of it… she is a nurse, after all…_

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**With Medusa and Hiroshi**

_CRASH!_

Hiroshi flinched, watching Medusa breathing heavily, staring down at the mess she made. Torn Piles of paper, as well as broken ballpens and doctor supplies were scattered around the floor. She began to kick the scattered items, further breaking them.

"HOW COULD YOU BE SO RECKLESS?" Medusa growled violently, causing Hiroshi to gulp. He was already sweating like a pig from worrying so much. Not to mention his bruises and cuts that ached and stung.

"I-I'm sorry… M-medusa…" He gulped again, pulling on his collar.

"SORRY DOESN'T CUT IT," Medusa grabbed Hiroshi's hand, throwing him across the room. Hiroshi rolled on the ground until he rammed into the wall. He groaned.

Medusa sighed and pinched the bridge of her nose. "The least you could've done was LIE about Kira. So tell me Hiroshi—why didn't you _lie_?"

Hiroshi stared at the floor, and then looked up at the table, where the drawing of Soul lay. Medusa raised her eyebrows in surprise, and then snatched the drawing from the table. Soul was sitting down, talking animatedly—probably to Maka.

_Maka_…? Medusa thought, eyeing Hiroshi.

"Don't tell me," Medusa laughed haughtily, "You have _feelings_ for that girl?"

Hiroshi glared at the floor.

Medusa laughed again, even louder. "My, my… Well, I can see why. She does resemble Kira quite a bit. The same pair of green eyes—almost the same shade of hair."

Hiroshi looked up at Medusa and hissed, "I don't care about _either_ of them!"

"Oh?" Medusa questioned, walking over to kneel close to Hiroshi, "And what if I told you it was successful?"

Hiroshi's eyes widened. "Kira's cured? But the Grim Reaper did so much damage—"

"It took awhile," Medusa crossed her fingers. "About five months, I believe."

Hiroshi bit his lip, and then carefully asked, "How?"

Medusa smirked. "I thought you didn't care?"

"Just spit it out, damn it—!" Medusa slapped Hiroshi.

"Don't talk to me in that tone," Medusa hissed, "You're lucky enough I healed your poor meister. I could've left her to die if I wanted."

"How?" Hiroshi repeated, rubbing his cheek, his blonde hair all flustered.

"My specialty," Medusa grinned. "Black blood."

"What the hell is that?"

"My black blood's primary function is to make whoever it infects into a Kishin—therefore inducing insanity."

Hiroshi grabbed Medusa's arm, tightening his grip. "HOW IS THAT HELPING HER?"

"The madness of the black blood has different effects, depending on the user. In Kira's case, it's given her the ability to live," Medusa slapped Hiroshi's hand away, "I had my doubts at first too, but it was the only way—so as I said, consider yourself lucky."

Medusa stood up, walking over to the desk where Soul's drawing lay. "Not so lucky anymore, seeing as you just ruined her chances of living. A shame that she has to be disposed of so quickly. I had so much in store for her."

"What were you planning to do with her?"

Medusa looked back, "I planned on making her create deathscythes for myself. But it's too late now. She'll be gone in a few days."

Hiroshi stayed silent, and Medusa crossed her arms. "Of course… there _is_ another way…"

Hiroshi's head shot up, eyeing Medusa. She smiled. "Kira has grown…incredibly powerful, thanks to the black blood. She won't go down very easily. And with you there, she'd be even more powerful."

"What are you implying?" Hiroshi asked, confused.

Medusa held up the drawing of Soul. "I've found a way…to create _my own_ deathscythes."

Hiroshi raised en eyebrow.

"With Stein out of the city, I won't have anyone distracting me with my work anymore. I want you to take them to Kira, become Kira's weapon, and _kill _them."

Hiroshi's eyes widened. "K-kill them? Maka and everyone—?"

"And once you get rid of them, you're going to come back to Death City and aid me in making it my own." Medusa laughed. "There are many secrets in this city, and I want to find them all."

"You're going to try to take over Death City? Are you crazy? How do you suppose you'll handle the Grim Reaper!"

"Good things come to those who wait," Medusa said, stroking Soul's drawing. "In the meantime, I want you to repay the favor for bringing back your dear Kira. Kill Maka and everyone else on your little trip, and send Kira back here. Understood?"

Hiroshi stood up, dusting himself, and with no hesitation, replied, "Understood."

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**ON THE ROAD**

Before Maka and the gang left Death City to find Kira, Medusa approached Maka, handing her what she knew to be Soul's drawing.

"Maka, you forgot this. Next time, don't be too reckless, okay?" she said, and Maka nodded, apologizing. Medusa walked over to Hiroshi next, to what Maka thought was probably a check up on his injuries. They shared a quiet conversation, and a ruby-eyed mister couldn't help but watch their every move. After a few minutes of finalizing the packing list and starting up the vehicles, they set off. It didn't take long until they reached the center of the desert.

The air was startlingly dry—like it could suck all the moisture out of a person. Not to mention the stupid grinning sun, beating down on the gang's heads like a hammer—further driving their thirst to insanity. Everywhere they looked, they found sand dunes—making it look like there was no end in sight.

Kid was whizzing above the cloudless sky on his skateboard, holding Patty and Liz in his hands. Stein and Hiroshi were in a bright red doom buggy, Hiroshi driving. As for Soul and Maka…well… Let's just say Soul was experiencing one of those "euphoria" moments.

"THIS IS AWESOME, MAKA!" Soul yelled, as he pulled on the accelerator, causing the orange motorcycle to move faster. Maka tightened her grip on the bike.

Yes…the BIKE. She was far too nervous to wrap her arms around Soul. Her stomach churned with every jerk of the bike, and the temptation to grab on to him was rising.

"Soul, slow down!" I yelled. "You don't even know where we're going! Hiroshi should be leading the way!"

Soul went even faster and she growled in annoyance. "SOUL—!"

"Jeez, Maka, you'd be safe if you just grabbed on to my waist already."

Although she blushed, it didn't make a difference, what with the sun burning every inch of her body. She wanted to take her coat off so badly—and the wind wasn't helping at all. "Wh-what are you implying?"

Soul turned around to grin at her, but she yelled at him to face the road again. "I won't let anything happen to you, Maka," he laughed, "I'd worry less if you hung on to me. I promise I'll go slower, come on."

Slowly, she wrapped her arms around Soul's waist, and he pulled the accelerator again, jolting them forward. She squeaked, and tightened her arms around his waist, burying her face in his back. "SOUL YOU IDIOT! YOU DID THAT ON PURPOSE!"

Soul chuckled, "You're paranoid, Maka. It's not like there's anything coming our—"

"LOOK OUT!" she yelled, pointing at a humongous rock that was suddenly blocking their way.

Soul drifted to the left and she screamed the entire time. They missed the figure by inches, and Soul began to laugh at their luck, yelling out loud "HOW COOL WAS THAT HUH? Black Star's gonna FREAK when he finds out what I did!"

Maka growled, taking that as the last straw. "STOP! RIGHT NOW!"

The doom buggy immediately stopped behind them and Kid and his skateboard descended from the sky. Soul turned around and stopped the motorcycle with everyone else. "Jeez, Maka, it's not like anything happened to us—"

"NO, but something's bound to happen! I want to switch places!" She pointed at Stein. "Stein-sensei! Can I please ride with Hiroshi?"

"WHAT?" Soul yelled, and Hiroshi smirked at Soul. "You've gotta be kidding me, Maka—"

"NO! I'm serious! I don't care if you guys think he's the bad guy! At least he has the decency to drive SAFELY!"

Stein sighed, shaking his head. "I'm sorry Maka, but the seating arrangements work better this way. Would you rather _you_ were driving the motorcycle?"

"She'll get us killed the minute she starts the bike." Soul muttered, and Maka's fingers tingled and twitched, wanting _so _badly to Maka-Chop his head.

"How about you sit in front of Soul, Maka?" Stein offered. "You would be much safer."

"What?" she asked in disbelief, eyes wide. Kid shook his head when he spotted Hiroshi and Maka sharing the same expression. As if on cue, both of them said, "NO WAY—"

But it was too late. Maka felt a pair of arms wrap around her waist and she squealed in surprise, realizing Soul was setting her on his lap as he got back on the bike. "Alright, enough stalling. Let's go."

"Soul!" she yelled, but even before she could object, he had started the bike and took off, with everyone else following suit.

Soul's arms protected Maka from falling off either side of the bike. She sat on his lap sideways, her legs dangling off one side of the bike. She was leaning into his chest, her fingers gripping on his yellow and black jacket for fear of falling.

"God, you're heavy, Maka…" Soul whispered.

She slapped his chest. "This would've been easier if you let me ride with Hiroshi—"

"No."

"Well, why not! Really, it would've been more convenient!"

Soul leaned forward, causing her to press more into his chest as he whispered, "A guy like him doesn't deserve your company."

Her breath hitched and Soul continued, "Besides… the look on his face was completely priceless. Totally worth it."

Maka sighed. _Childish, as always._

They were silent for the rest of the ride. What seemed like an endless trip in the desert slowly began to end as the group spotted towering trees on the horizon. The sky looked almost purple, reflecting against the mountaintops that rose even farther behind the trees. They looked rocky and dangerous—and that was never a good sign.

"Once we find good ground, we'll spend the night there!" Stein yelled out to inform us. Maka heard it, but it sounded almost far away, like she was dreaming. She felt her head nodding back and forth, and Soul said, "You know, you can go to sleep if you want to."

She shook her head. "No… I might fall off the bike…"

"Come on, Maka, you know I wouldn't let that happen."

She shook her head again, muttering the words, "No…you…liar…" not realizing that it was too late, for she had already fallen fast asleep.

Soul chuckled, letting his left hand wrap around her waist so she wouldn't fall off, his right hand balancing the bike.

The snoozing sun had descended, and a grinning, bloody moon rose to flash just enough light for them to see. They arrived at a nice spot in the forest, hidden in a few trees, and Soul stopped his bike, parking it. He lifted Maka in a princess style, and heard the doom buggy roar to park beside him. He looked over and saw Hiroshi get off the car, glaring at Soul.

"What do _you_ want?" Soul asked.

"Tsk. What are you doing, Evans? Taking advantage of Maka while she's asleep?"

Soul growled. "Bastard."

Hiroshi moved closer. "You care about her, Evans. It's pretty evident," Hiroshi whispered, "But don't start thinking you're the _only_ one that cares for her. I've known her for a long time, longer than you."

Soul tightened his grip on Maka. "Don't start talking all big, Lair. There's a reason why she chose me to be her partner instead of _you_…" he spat.

Hiroshi shook his head, staring at Maka's pocket. "You don't know anything."

Stein coughed, walking up to the two boys. "Well, sorry to interrupt, but Soul, I have a job for a nice scythe weapon like you,"

"Now what?" Soul growled.

"I want you to go find some logs for a fire. Cut them up for us already, will you? Thanks. Now, hand Maka over to Hiroshi."

Soul glared at Stein, and then at Hiroshi, whose arms were immediately open, waiting for him to pass Maka. As Soul put Maka in Hiroshi's arms, he whispered viciously, _"You do anything to her…and you'll wish you were dead_._"_

Hiroshi held Maka to his chest. "I'd say the same thing to you. Now go get the damn logs."

"You can't order me around—"

"But I can," Stein repeated, sighing, "Now _go_, Soul. Both of you, stop being so immature."

Soul walked away reluctantly. Stein decided to make camp, so that Hiroshi could set Maka down. Hiroshi stared at Maka's pocket again, where the drawing of Soul was sticking out. He was right. Maka didn't tell Soul yet, about Soul being a creation. Hiroshi pondered over telling Soul—but decided against it. Maka might kill him for it. Soul came back after a few minutes with nice, chopped logs and threw them at the center of the camp. "I got your damn logs. Happy?"

"_Overjoyed_…_so_ glad you made it back," Hiroshi muttered sarcastically.

"So, Hiroshi, how far until we reach Kira?" Stein asked.

Hiroshi pointed up. "Not that far. To be honest, she's up there, in one of the caves in that mountain."

"How does she survive?" The once silent Kid asked. "Are there others that know about where she's located?"

Hiroshi looked down. "No. It's only me."

"How do we know this is not a trap?" Soul asked.

"You think I'd put Maka in danger?" Hiroshi growled.

"Soul, he's right. And if it _is_ a trap, he'd be caught in it too." Stein muttered. Soul looked away childishly. "Anyways it's getting late. I think its best that we all go to bed."

"I'll keep first watch. I'll make sure to wake one of you up when I feel tired." Hiroshi volunteered, waving his hand to show that he was fine. Soul decided not to argue, because hell, he himself was tired—and he wasn't kidding when he said Maka was heavy.

_Well, maybe a bit, _he thought, before setting himself beside Maka, leaning against a tree, and slowly nodding off.

Liz nodded, saying something about beauty sleep, and Patty giggled, both of them walking into their tent. Stein walked over to Kid and they chatted for awhile, when Kid pinched the bridge of his nose and flipped his skateboard, getting on it.

"Where are you going?" Hiroshi asked Kid, as the boosters of the skateboard began to lift him up slowly.

"Going to cover the area," Kid muttered, "Stein's orders."

"Cover the area?" Hiroshi asked Stein when Kid left and Stein turned around. "What is that supposed to mean? Block us from any harm?"

"No. I just told Kid to look around for any signs of other living things," Stein said, looking down at Hiroshi after setting his tent up, "Sorry. But we can't trust you, Hiroshi. Not after keeping this from us. Someone else could possibly be around here protecting Kira. We're just making sure."

_Good_, Hiroshi thought, nodding, _because you'll find no one else. She's all the way back in Death City you freaking screw head—_

"I'm off to bed…" Stein yawned, walking away from camp and into the forest. Hiroshi wondered what the hell he'd be doing there, anyway. He shrugged it off and turned around to face a stirring Maka, as her face scrunched up, beginning to wake up. Hiroshi softened up a little. What Medusa said was true, because Maka looked an _awful_ lot like Kira. Kira was older, maybe _less_ mature, but he couldn't help but treat Maka differently among the rest. Even if she thought he was the bad guy now…

Maka blinked, rubbing her eyes, "What time is it…?"

Hiroshi shrugged. "Dunno. It's probably really late though."

Maka shot up in surprise at the sound of his voice and held her head from the sudden motion. "Ow… Oh. Hiroshi…" She looked at her surroundings, finding Soul beside her, snoring loudly against a tree, drooling. She looked back at Hiroshi who sat in front of her and asked, "What are you doing up?"

Hiroshi raised an eyebrow. _She's trying to be nice?_ "I'm keeping watch."

"Has it been awhile?" she asked, and he shakes his head.

"Well… I've been asleep for the whole day. How about I take watch now?" Maka asked.

"You don't have to be nice, Maka." Maka blinked in surprise at what Hiroshi said. He glared at her with his silver eyes and then looked away. "Don't start treating me like nothing's happened."

Maka glared at him and spat, "Ugh. Men! You and Soul, I swear! Always flipping my words around!"

Hiroshi laughed darkly, "Don't compare me to that _pathetic_ weapon of yours. It's stupid."

"He's _not_ pathetic!" Maka yelled, defending Soul, crawling over to Hiroshi, whispering, "He's fine the way he is! Just because he's… he's _different_, doesn't mean you can treat him that way!"

"Oh yeah?" Hiroshi asked, "Him and Kira are going to end up exactly the same. You're going to think he's perfect, like he's everything you've _ever _asked for. After that, he's going to have his soul eaten away, and sooner or later he'll treat you like trash; and you'll see how wrong you are."

Maka bit her lip, staring at Hiroshi, confused. "You talk like you already know what it's like."

Hiroshi scowled. "Just don't compare me to someone like him because I'm _not_. I'm way cooler than he is."

_Oh really_? Maka thought bluntly. _You guys sure _sound_ the same…_

But Maka stared at the boy in front of her, wondering what exactly had he been through? He seemed like a terribly nice gentleman at first, who treated her so differently from others. Now, his demeanor turned dark, like the onslaught of a sudden thunderstorm—a thunderstorm Maka was afraid to face. Maka wished she could read his mind, because his clouded eyes and flustered blonde hair weren't enough for her to understand his situation. And surely he wouldn't want to talk to her about it.

"Why didn't you tell him? About the drawing?"

Maka bit her lip, knowing very well what Hiroshi meant. "So you figured that out, huh?" Hiroshi simply nodded, waiting.

Maka sighed, whispering, "I can't tell him now. Not after months of trust and partnership. I don't want him to think he's… one of those creations; or else he's going to think of himself as the bad guy. I want Soul to be real. And if keeping this from him makes him believe he's real, then I'm happy."

"Don't you think you're being a little bit selfish?" Hiroshi asked.

"Maybe," Maka conceded, "But I've been looking for him _for the longest time_ now. To finally have him here—and the thought of him disappearing forever—pains me. He truly is the perfect weapon for me, and I need him as my weapon. Just because he was… _created_…doesn't change that."

"He… really means a lot to me." Maka admitted, smiling.

"Just as a weapon?" Hiroshi asked, curious.

Maka pondered over answering this question. If she admitted to Hiroshi that she loved Soul—then she'd be hurting his feelings, if what Soul said was true. Lying… there wouldn't be a problem with that… right?

"Yes. Just as a weapon." Maka lied, whispering very quietly—as if her words faded along with the slight breeze.

But Hiroshi heard it, loud and clear. And he wasn't the only one.

A set of ruby eyes scanned his surroundings darkly, before shutting them into what he hoped would be an endless sleep—wishing to never wake up to reality.

But things, unfortunately, didn't go Soul's way.

—**End of Chapter 5—**

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**AN: OHHHH WE'RE HALFWAY THEREEE. OHHHH OHHH. *sings***

**o_O … I can feel… your anger. And it scares me for leaving such a cliffy. But I JUST HAD TOOOO! I just had to! I was actually supposed to end it WAAAY differently, but I decided to end it here, so that the drama can just start again **_**next **_**chapter. Too much information is bad, so I'm stopping it there!**

**My sort of BETA—my good friend, Gabby, has been helping me out with my DESCRIPTIVE STUFF :D I HATE details, especially when I draw, so I hate describing things too. I'm not good at Similes or Metaphors or stuff like that. Probably hyperbole's but uh… not good at describing. So my writing sounds a little formal… or that's what most people tell me. So you can thank her for me actually TRYING (but epicly failing) to sound like a pro writer HAHAHA. xD**

**So this is what you've learned in this chapter: (at least, I hope. God, I sound like a teacher discussing the objectives and stuff. Oh noes!)**

**Medusa - **** Apparently, she came across Hiroshi and Kira before the Grim Reaper could completely finish her off—and she's healed Kira with her black blood. No one knows that she's a part of this other than Hiroshi.**

**Soul Evans **** - His feelings for Maka are apparent to Hiroshi, but he doesn't like to show it. And no duh! The reason he was going so fast on the bike was for Maka to just grab the hell on to him already. Soul… you naughty boy. Tsk.**

**Hiroshi Lair **** - He seems to have feelings for Maka; and Hiroshi is only really nice to her. Other than that, he treats everyone else like crap. I guess. Evil.**

**Hiroshi vs. Soul **** - Yes, we've got some HEATED STUFF GOING ON HERE.**

**And finally: Soul's found out about him being a drawing. About being a creation just like Kira was.**

**Those are the important parts… at least… BUT I HOPE YOU ENJOYED IT! :D Glad I finished it early, actually. :P Reviews are nice, and lovely, and if you review, you can get a SNEAK PEEK ON THE NEXT CHAPTER YEAH! Well, if you ask for it. I won't spoil you if you don't want to haha. Anyways, thanks you guys for your support! I really appreciate it!**

**-JUSTINEEE-**


	6. Chapter 6

**AN: Thank you again for reviewing :D Man, time flies so fast! I love writing this story so much though! I probably have to change the rating cause it's getting GOOORRRY! So if you dislike violence, I should probably warn you about this now. There IS violence.**

**I just want to let you all know that I'll be changing my Pen Name to justixoxo, so don't worry when you get updated and it says "To No Avail by justixoxo" because that's me. I just don't like Twilight very much anymore, so I feel awkward having this name.**

**So I won't say anything else and just give you the chappy :) Here you go!**

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**Chapter 6 – A Twist on the Sides  
**

Soul stirred awake, and squinted his eyes at the bright light. He felt something heavy on his lap, and realized Maka had fallen asleep on him. She looked so peaceful and Soul smiled down sadly at her. Her eyes were stirring underneath her eyelids, and he realized she was dreaming. Her long, swanlike neck was out in the open, and he had to gulp, attempting to hide it with her coat. Her breathing was slow and rhythmic, and Soul lightly tapped his fingers on her arm, as if he was playing his piano back home in the mansion.

_Back home_… He thought. No, he didn't have a home. Everything about him was a lie. He was a creation, just like the weapons the Grim Reaper had created. Sooner or later, he was going to have his soul eaten—and he would end up hurting Maka. Maka, who had kept _all_ of this from him. Soul wanted to confront her, yell at her, anything, but he couldn't do it. Over the past months, Maka has meant a great deal to Soul. She accepted him immediately, even after not knowing who he was entirely. From what he thought was his past—no one accepted him, not even his own parents.

But Maka had kept something from him for a _long _time; something that he was _supposed_ to know about—because it was his business. And the fact that Hiroshi knew about it (probably Kid and Stein as well) was unnerving. He wanted to punch something (Hiroshi if possible). He felt so betrayed after what Maka did. What other things could she be keeping from him? What other things did he not know about himself?

And why did… she say… that?

"_He really means a lot to me."_

"_Only as a weapon?"_

"_Yes. Only as a weapon."_

Soul wanted to laugh. His childish, immature fantasies turned him in the wrong direction. He thought maybe, _just maybe_, that Maka thought of him as more than a weapon—at the most a friend. Or was he just denying what he truly wanted? He started to miss that stupid, arrogant git, Black Star… He was so open to saying things to him about Tsubaki; but whenever he questioned Soul about Maka, Soul would change the topic or shrug—as if uncaring.

But Soul was _not_ uncaring. He truly _did_ care for Maka. And that's what partners _do_ right? Care? Appreciate? Serve?

_Love?_

Soul shook his head. There was no way in _hell_ that he could… that he would…

But even after everything she's done—everything she's kept from him—maybe Soul couldn't deny that _fact_. The occasional teasing about her chest, testing her patience and purposely making mistakes in front of her; these were all just excuses he did to hide how he really felt.

And he found out the reason he was hiding them: was because it would never happen.

Soul _was _mad, irritated, annoyed, agitated…He was. But he was also confounded, shocked, and maybe a little saddened. And even though Maka meant a whole lot to him… Could he forgive her?

Soul lifted Maka from his lap, and set her against the tree. Did he… really want to stay mad at Maka? Forgiveness was easy. He could _probably_ accept the fact that he was a drawing. But maybe the real reason Soul didn't want to be a part of this anymore was to _save _Maka. Save her from her soul being eaten away by him.

But was she just using him?

Soul eyed Maka's pocket, where the same piece of paper he questioned about before lay. He grabbed it, opening it to see himself, staring right back at him. It was like a mirror that reflected who he was and what he was feeling. And he was _sad_. _Weak. _But he would never admit it in his entire life. For once he felt so…_uncool_.

His heart suddenly felt heavy; and every other heartbeat made a huge impact. A force for every heartbeat that made him feel nervous and worried. Something extremely powerful was close by…

Or… was it already in his hands?

When he looked back at the drawing, he realized it wasn't his reflection anymore. Rather, it was a small, ogre, with red complexion. Horns grew out of his head, and dark lines traced his colorless eyes, making it look like he was wearing glasses. His nose was long and pointy, and he smiled up at Soul, displaying teeth that were probably just as pointy.

Soul held the paper back in surprise, and the ogre laughed, saying in a high, almost sarcastic voice, "Soul Eater Evans! A pleasure to finally meet you!"

Soul gritted his teeth and raised an index finger to his lips. Maka groaned and rolled over, falling back to sleep. The ogre innocently put a hand to his lips and nodded. "Terribly sorry about that. How about we talk… in a much quieter place?"

Soul raised an eyebrow. "I'm…not allowed to leave camp."

The ogre grinned even wider. "I never said it was away from camp."

The searing feeling that Soul felt in his heart came back, and he watched as the demon began to flow into the hand that was holding the drawing. Soul tried to let go of the drawing, but it was like he was being pushed down, and forced to keep a hold on it. He realized the demon was forcing its way into him; into his blood system.

Soul collapsed on the ground in front of Maka, his hand finally letting go of the paper.

It was dark, at first, and he couldn't see a single thing. He stretched his hand out to feel around, taking a few steps, but there was nothing. Suddenly, a big spotlight flashed on him and he raised his hand to block the sudden light. He looked at his outstretched hand and saw that he was in the same pinstripe suit he wore the first time he met Maka.

The spotlight slowly widened, and began to fill up the entire room. He looked around. The tiles were black and red, and they extended forever around him. Beside him was a record player that was playing a jazzy song—he remembered it being in one of his playlists. The record player seemed broken though, since it was repeating a certain part in the song over and over. Over at the far end, lay a grand piano in all its glory, and his fingers twitched, itching to play a melody on it.

"Oh do play," and Soul turned around to face the same demon. He was rather short, so Soul had to look down. "I know how well you can."

Soul took a step back cautiously. "Where is this place?"

"In your mind," It replied. "In your _soul_…"

"Who the hell are you?" Soul asked, annoyed.

The ogre laughed, "Yes, yes, no introductions would be _rude_, am I right?"

Soul recalled himself saying that the first time he met Maka as well. He stared at the demon oddly, and then asked, "How do you…?"

"Know your memories?" the demon asked, "Know your name? Know the people you care for? That's because I _am_ you, Soul only the portion of you that began to exist. After all, you were _simply_ created, correct?"

Soul growled. "You're starting to tick me off, you piece of shi—"

"And _why_ didn't you know about that again? _Who_ was it that kept it from you?"

"She was just trying to do what was best for both of us. It's not her fault—"

"Oh contraire, it _is _her fault! You just choose not to think that way because you _wuve herrr_…! How could it possibly work for the _both_ of you when she _doesn't even feel the same way_—!"

Soul stepped forward, cracking his knuckles, and the little demon shrunk back in surprise, "Now, now, Soul Eater! No need to get hasty! I'm not here to pick a fight!"

"Then what the hell do you want?" Soul growled, still walking forward. "Because if you don't have anything good to say, then I'll—!"

"_I can help you become more powerful."_

Soul stopped in his tracks, staring at the demon who was holding his hands up to shield himself. "I don't need power."

"You do if you want to keep yourself from eating away Maka's soul."

Soul put his hands down. There was a way… for him to be of no harm to Maka? This couldn't go very well… "What do I have to do?"

"All you have to do is submit yourself to madness."

Soul scoffed, "Very straightforward of you."

"I can't lie, Soul Eater," the demon admitted in mock shock, "So everything I'm telling you is the absolute truth. Submitting yourself to madness helps you become more powerful."

"Just _talking_ to you makes me feel like I'm _already_ mad." Soul was agitated by this being. Did it not think he could handle staying by Maka's side? He could protect her _without_ having to submit to the madness! And he could prove it! "I don't need _power_ to stay by Maka's side! She's my partner, and I wouldn't do anything to hurt her."

The ogre laughed. "Oh you are _terribly_ funny, Soul Eater! Oh ho ho!"

Soul grabbed the ogre by the collar and slammed him down on the floor. The ogre coughed in surprise and then growled, "Don't anger me, Soul Eater."

The room began to shake violently and Soul let go of the ogre hesitantly. The record player started to play correctly, and then the room stopped shaking. Soul stepped back and suddenly felt vulnerable.

"There. Very good! At least you know who's in charge here."

"What _are_ you?" Soul asked, appalled.

"I am a foreign source that now flows in your blood stream," The ogre said, "I control every aspect of this room _except _you."

"And that's never going to happen. When Maka finds out abo—"

The ogre shook his head, sighing sadly, "Can't you see that Maka is just _using _you?"

Soul stayed quiet. The ogre was making sense, because in a way, Maka _was _using him as her weapon. There was this deep pit feeling in Soul's stomach that was filled with regret. Regret for ever listening to her. Regret for ever agreeing to be her partner. And it continued to rise, putting pressure on his lungs, his heart…his _soul_…

The demon sighed again, "Oh, if only you knew what lies ahead for you… No matter. I'll _always_ be here until you change your mind! Don't die on me now!"

"Die on you—? What the hell does that—"

"SOUL! SOUL! WAKE UP!"

Soul's eyes opened and he felt his body moving back and forth. Someone was shaking him. He groaned to let the person know he was awake and he heard a gasp. "SOUL! Are you alright? What happened?" It was Maka's voice.

"Long story…" He muttered, rubbing his head. _Was that all a dream_?

"Well… let me in on it _later_. Right now, we have to go up and help everyone!"

"What's going on?"

"It's Kid! He went up to check the mountain… and he found Kira!"

* * *

**With Kid, Stein, Hiroshi and Kira**

Brown, messy hair covered half of her face as she smiled crazily at the sudden company. She rolled across her bed and on to her stomach and placed a hand under her chin. Kid inched back a little, tightening his grip on Liz and Patty, who transformed into pistols. Stein held up a hand, and secretly began to control his soul wavelength. But Hiroshi was in a state of shock, possibly even fear. He never saw his meister this way. Her aura seemed dark and dangerous—like it wasn't her anymore; rather, it was like something was controlling her. _The black blood_?

"My, my," Kira laughed, running a hand through her hair so that it didn't cover her face. Her sparkling, green eyes seemed to taunt Hiroshi, and he gulped. "This is a surprise. I never thought we'd meet again, Hiroshi…"

She clapped her hands and began to laugh, waving her hand at Kid and Stein, "AND LOOK! You've brought some of your friends! Wouldn't it be nice to just… play around?" She asked, twirling a lock of her hair.

"We're not here to play," Stein corrected, stepping forward. "We're here to get rid of you."

Kira's expression darkened, and she frowned at Stein, "You must be a teacher. Ugh. You guys are always so… straightforward." She waved a hand, rolling her eyes. Hiroshi gulped again, because he was _so_ sure now that this _wasn't _Kira. _What had Medusa…done?_

Kira sat up on her bed and Kid fidgeted at the movement. He wondered why he was so nervous. Was it because… Kira's soul was… just extraordinary? It was beyond any other soul he'd ever seen before—and she could probably take down Stein if she wanted to. And that wasn't a good sign.

"But since you're here… it must've been _her_ again, wasn't it, Hiroshi?" Kira asked, now looking bored.

Hiroshi nodded, and Kira laughed. "Perfect! Gosh, I am _so_ excited!"

Kid was so confused. He had no idea what either of them were talking about. Stein looked around, as if half expecting someone to just pop out. Kira yawned and stretched, "Well, I'm bored. Let's listen to our orders," She extended her hand, grinning wildly again, _"Right…Hiroshi?"_

"NO!" Kid yelled, raising the pistols in his hands.

With no hesitation, Hiroshi immediately transformed into the crossbow that he was, and flew past Stein and into Kira's hand. Kira twirled it around before the automatic arrow appeared on the notch. "SAYONARA!" She sung, and shot the arrow.

Stein ducked under the incoming arrow and charged forward to Kira, holding out his hand where his attack, Soul Menace, began to form. Kid on the other hand began to fire at the arrow. The minute he shot it, it blew up and Kid was sent flying across the room.

Kira's eyes widened as Stein reached her, and he thrust his hand against her stomach, sending a jolt of soul shockwaves into her body. She gasped and black blood spouted out behind her. At first, Stein thought he got her, but then Kira smiled and whispered, "Bloody needle."

The black blood that poured out began to harden, forming into a needle-like material, and Stein failed to dodge it on time, and multiple needles pierced his arms and legs. "ARRGH!" He growled, pulling his hand back and kneeling to the ground. He looked up at Kira, panting, _What the hell was that?_

The black blood began to seal up Kira's injury and she laughed, grabbing Stein by the collar. The black blood hardened her skin and strengthened her to carry Stein effortlessly. He struggled against her grip but she could only laugh some more, "Struggling will get you nowhere. I see now that I'll have to get rid of you, first."

Stein concentrated more shockwaves into his hand and grabbed on to her arm, causing more black blood to spill out. Kira tutted, and muttered, _"It seems like you want to die quickly! Very well. Bloody needle."_

The needles pierced through Stein's stomach, and he gasped, coughing out blood and onto the floor. Kira rolled her eyes, "Is this the best that Shibusen's got? I thought it could've done better." She fired an arrow at the wall beside her and it blew up, leaving a giant hole on the side. "Pathetic, really. Medusa was right about this one. I mean, who sticks a screw up their heads nowadays, really!"

Stein's eyes widened at Kira's comment. "MEDUSA? What does Medusa have anything to do with this?"

Kira walked over to the hole, holding Stein out of it. His feet dangled off the edge as he continued to struggle against her hold. "She has EVERYTHING to do with it! It's all thanks to her that I'm alive and well! And now, all that's left to do is get you out of our way, and we can finally take over Death City and get revenge on that _damn _REAPER! Isn't it fantastic?"

Kira tutted. "Silly me. I've said too much! But…it's not like you're going to live anyway," Kira grinned, letting go of Stein's collar. Stein fell out of the hole and down the mountain, until he disappeared into the towering trees.

Kira slowly turned her head to see a gasping Kid, who was lying on the ground in pain from the impact of the shot. His two weapons had transformed back into human form, trying to help him out somehow. Kira loaded the notch again with another automatic arrow, and raised it slowly at the group. Kid spotted this and grabbed Liz and Patty as quickly as he could, shielding them. She shot the arrow, grinning like a maniac, finally losing it.

"_GAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!"_

_

* * *

_

**With Soul and Maka**

Soul and Maka began to climb the crumbling mountain. Everywhere you looked, rocks came falling down from the topmost part. Just a few minutes ago, a huge boulder came crashing down and Soul had to push Maka up against the wall so both of them could evade it. Of course, that left them both breathless, but they continued climbing, nonetheless. When they reached the top, they spotted a cave, and could hear shouts and yells coming from inside. Maka extended her hand, "Okay Soul, transform now."

But Soul didn't transform.

Maka looked at Soul, confused, and repeated, "Soul, transform now. We have to help them out!"

Soul eyed Maka curiously, and the ogre's words came back into his head. _Can't you see that Maka is just using you?_

"Soul we have no time to hang around here! Kid and Stein are—"

"GAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!" A voice yelled in pain from inside and Maka's eyes widened in fear. "Soul, I'M SERIOUS!"

Soul transformed and twirled into Maka's hands. She grasped on the handle tightly, when she felt the searing pain in her hands. She screamed and dropped Soul to the ground, staring at her gloves which were now smoking from the heat.

"MAKA!" he said, still in scythe form. He was having difficulty transforming back and forth.

"Soul…you're hot…"

Soul would've totally made an awesome comeback to that if it weren't for the seriousness of the situation. "Why is this happening?"

Maka shook her head. "I don't know. But… I can't let this stop us. We have to help them now, okay, Soul?"

Maka grabbed on to the handle of the scythe again, trying to ignore the burning sensation. It felt like someone was frying her hands non-stop. Soul sensed her pain and said, "Maka…maybe you shouldn't…"

"N-No! We can do this. We can win against Kira and Hiroshi," Maka said, her face scrunched up in pain, "W-we're much more powerful than they are. We can do this."

She ran inside the cave, running towards the light at the very end. She looked around and found herself in a huge, empty room with different levels of ground; and nothing inside than a bed and table at the very center. There were holes in the walls that surrounded the place, and Maka raised the scythe in front of her, keeping an eye out for any signs of movement.

"M-Maka…" she heard a voice call out and Maka gasped at Kid, who was on the ground, a pool of blood surrounding him. Liz and Patty were knocked out under him, and Kid raised a hand, whispering, "Get…out…"

_Whoosh!_ Maka blinked, and looked around for where the sound had come from.

_Beep beep beep…_ Maka stared at the ground where an arrow lay, red light blinking. She scrunched her face up in confusion and Soul yelled, "IT'S ONE OF HIROSHI'S ARROWS—!"

_BOOOOOOOOOOOOM!_

Maka flew back and across the room, smashing into the wall on the opposite side. She was sure she had broken something, because the wall crashed behind her and she fell along with the bigger piles of debris. She attempted to stand up, her hands feeling numb from the supreme heat of the handle.

"MAKA! Are you alright?" Soul yelled, still in scythe form. He appeared against the blade of the scythe, eyeing her for any injuries.

"I'm fine," Maka replied, wobbling as she stood up. She was, somehow, miraculously okay—no blood whatsoever.

"_Whaaat?_ You can still stand up!" a high voice yelled from above.

Maka looked up, holding the scythe in front of her as she saw a girl with long, wavy brown hair tied in a messy ponytail glaring down at her. She was dressed lightly, a simple tank top and low-rise jeans that were folded until her knees. Their emerald eyes clashed as their eyes met, and the girl continued, "We'll get her on this next shot."

Maka only realized then that her right hand was gripping onto a crossbow.

"That must be Kira." Soul whispered to Maka and she nodded, getting ready to evade the shot. Kira pointed the crossbow at Maka, and whispered, "Infinite Arrows."

Maka's eyes widened when she dodged the first arrow, because she heard a dozen more _"woosh" _sounds. Maka continued running to the left, ducking every now and then to avoid the numerous arrows that were flying her way. One arrow caught her coat, and it shredded it easily, that Maka wondered how sharp those arrows _really_ were. She decided on a new course; directly towards Kira. That way, she would stop shooting.

Maka charged towards Kira when another arrow caught her coat. She growled and threw her coat off of her, leaving her in her skirt and white sleeved shirt. Soul gulped, once again, but forced himself to focus fighting. When Maka reached Kira, she jumped and swung Soul directly across, the blade reaching her neck—but it seemed _too_ easy.

There was a loud _CLANG_, and Kira's arm met with the sharp edge of the scythe, stopping it midway. She grinned at Maka's wide eyes, and thrust her arm downwards, sending both Soul and Maka falling to the floor.

_CRASH! _Maka groaned, getting a tight grip onto the handle of the scythe. Her back was beginning to ache. She considered herself lucky that it wasn't broken yet. But… _what was that_? She was so sure the scythe would cut Kira, but Kira stopped her with her _own skin_!

When Maka looked up, Kira was right there in her face, and she gasped. "SURPRISED?" Kira asked, and kneed Maka in the stomach, sending her tumbling against the floor. Maka landed face down a few meters away and she began to cough up blood. The whole time, she kept Soul in her hands, refusing to let him go, no matter how painful it was.

Maka glared at Kira who was laughing insanely, pointing Hiroshi's crossbow form at them. "Oh this is just _brilliant!_ You are _all_ making my day! I haven't had this good of a fight in a long time!"

Maka spat blood onto the floor, annoyed. She wiped her mouth using her sleeve and stood up slowly, using Soul as support. Soul looked up at Maka, hoping she wasn't pushing herself too far.

Kira fired an arrow, and from afar, Maka could already hear the _beeping_ sounds it was making. Maka tried to dodge, but it stabbed her arm and the pain was unbearable. She screamed, and held the end of the arrow, quickly jerking it off of her arm. It continued to beep, and Maka, breathless, threw it out of one of the holes of the wall. The loud sound of the explosion echoed in the empty room, and Kira tutted. "Oh dear. And we would've seen quite a show too, if you didn't pull it off!"

Maka couldn't hold her anger anymore, and she growled viciously at Kira, holding her injured arm.

_This is more than we can handle_, Soul thought, looking at his surroundings, _Kira is too powerful. Not to mention Hiroshi's betrayed us. Kid's knocked out and Stein's nowhere to be found…_

_**I know how to help you**_… a voice called out in Soul's head. Soul's eyes widened. He turned around and spotted a simple door, standing there. He stared at it, knowing exactly where it led to. The door began to open, and inside the black and red room was the little ogre, grinning up at Soul.

_**All you have to do is submit yourself to the madness!**_ It said, crossing its fingers. _**All you have to do… is just give in!**_

Soul looked up at Maka, who began to charge at Kira again. She swung Soul right and left, trying to find a vulnerable spot in Kira, but Kira kept dodging them, and on the last swing, Kira grabbed the blade of the scythe and threw it against the wall, Maka flying along with it.

Maka cried out in pain and Soul's fists shook and he gritted his teeth in anger, eyes shut. "Maka…"

_**If you want to help your woman out, you're going to have to listen to what I say!**_ The ogre repeated, tapping his foot impatiently. _**You're quite the stubborn one, eh?**_

"Soul… we have to match our wavelengths," Maka muttered, "Let's try to take on Kira with the witch hunter…"

"Yeah…and beat the crap out of her already." Soul said, looking back and forth between Maka and the ogre. The ogre grinned wide, _**Oh, this should be interesting!**_

"SOUL RESONANCE!" Maka and Soul yelled, and a white light began to encircle around them as Maka arched the scythe backwards. The scythe's red and black blade began to form a white and blue light, growing wider and longer.

For a second, Maka thought she was glaring at Kira; who was smirking, leaning on one leg casually. But the next thing she knew, she was in a black and red room, dressed in the only black dress she ever had.

She looked at her surroundings and spotted a little ogre, sitting on top of a grand piano. She eyed it curiously, and it seemed almost… _familiar_. She began to walk forward when it waved at her. She stopped a few feet from it and it laughed, "Oh, don't be shy, Maka dear!"

"Who are you?" Maka asked, still cautious.

The ogre grinned viciously and it said, "I am the black blood from Soul Eater's veins. Because you Soul Resonated, I lie in you now, as well."

"Soul?" Maka asked, confused, "Are you the one that's disrupting mine and Soul's wavelengths?"

"Not at all! I would never do such a thing!" The imp stated in mock hurt, "I actually have a way to… help you win this battle."

Maka bit her lip. _We could win?_ _And what is this… black blood? Is it a sort of trait the creations have? _Could she trust this… black blood… that was coming from Soul? She wanted to laugh. _Of course I can!_ Maka thought. _It's from Soul!_

The ogre felt Maka's uneasiness slip away and he wanted to laugh as well. _She's much easier to convince than that stubborn scythe! _It thought.

"What do I have to do?" Maka asked, stepping forward.

The imp jumped down from the piano, extending one hand to Maka. _**"Just leave it all to me."**_

Maka, with no hesitation, shook the little imp's hand. And then she blacked out.

Soul immediately felt his body freeze, and a large amount of black, sticky liquid began to fill up his empty space. Soul's eyes widened and he looked around at where the source was coming from. He realized it was from the door. He tried to swim across, but he couldn't budge. _What the hell is going on!_

_**Thanks to your Soul Resonation, I had a little chat with Maka dear**_, the imp said from the door, grinning, _**She agreed wholeheartedly to the madness! And now I can control HER!**_

"M-MAKA!" Soul yelled, "STOP THE SOUL WAVELENGTH! NOW!"

_**She can't HEAAAR you! The black blood has completely taken over her body! Now, watch and learn how it's done, SOUL EATER!**_

Maka's head slouched forward and Kira raised an eyebrow, eyeing the glowing blade and unmoving meister that were a few feet away.

And then in a fraction of a second, Maka was right in front of her.

Kira gasped, and Maka swung her blade with full force. Kira was unprepared and the impact knocked all the breath out of her. She was sent flying fast until she made contact with the ceiling. She slowly began to fall down and large amounts of debris came tumbling down after her. Maka looked up, her pupils dilated, and she began to giggle uncontrollably. "HEHEHEHEHE! DID YOU SEE THAT SOUL? SHE FLEEEW!"

Soul jerked his arms back and forth, but they wouldn't budge, and the liquid began to rise higher, almost covering his torso. He could hardly breathe already, but he yelled out, "MAKA! CAN YOU HEAR ME? MAKA!"

_**Stop trying, Soul Eater. Maka is under my control now.**_

"I WONT STOP, DAMN IT!" Soul growled, still attempting to tug on his arms, "MAKA LISTEN TO ME!"

Kira pushed aside the rocks the lay on top of her and gasped for air. She coughed black blood out of her mouth, and Maka giggled, "WELLLL! I THINK IT'S FAIR NOW!"

"LIKE HELL IT'S FAIR!" Kira screeched, and titled her arm upwards at Maka, but before she could even say anything, Maka was in front of her again, holding her up by the collar.

Maka tutted playfully, "_Nuh-uh-uh… Pointing is baaaad_!" And Maka used the back end of the scythe to plunge into Kira's stomach. Kira gasped and spun, back slamming against the wall, sliding down onto her knees.

Slowly, she raised Hiroshi in front of her and yelled out, "INFINITE ARROWS!"

Maka lifted her scythe, which was still in the witch hunter form, and began twirling it in front of her repeatedly, giggling as each arrow that hit the scythe broke in half. When she reached Kira, Maka stopped spinning the scythe and grinned, raising her foot, stomping on Kira's leg. She cried out in pain.

_**This is perfect. Maka is being driven to insanity. There's no way she'll ever come back now.**_

"TELL ME!" Soul called out, the black liquid still rising to his neck, "HOW DO I STOP MAKA?"

The ogre's eyes widened, _**Don't you enjoy seeing your meister like this? Don't you enjoy eating her soul?**_

"WHAT'LL IT TAKE FOR YOU TO STOP DOING THIS TO HER?"

The ogre grinned haughtily, _**It's simple, Soul Eater. It's all I've ever asked for…**_

Soul grunted, staring down at Maka from his scythe form. She shifted all her weight on one leg, pressing down on Kira, as she slowly raised the scythe, ready to strike.

"If I submit to the madness," Soul growled, "You have to swear you'll stop controlling Maka! You have to swear you'll _never_ let this happen to her _ever _again!"

_**Tough, Soul Eater, very tough, **_The imp sighed, _**but I swear it. And I don't lie.**_

Slowly, the black blood subsided from Soul's body, and it didn't seem as thick as before. He began to move his arms and legs which turned numb from the liquid. He swam towards the door, and held onto the door frame.

_**Just step inside, Evans, **_the imp grinned, waving Soul in, _**and I swear Maka will be saved.**_

Soul bit his lip, but nonetheless, stepped through the door, immediately succumbing to the madness.

Maka blinked, eyes wide as she took note of her surroundings. She faltered, and the weight of the witch hunter caused her to fall back. She landed on her back and realized it didn't hurt as much anymore. When she looked at her arm, it was cured as well. _Where had she been all this time?_ _How was she cured all of a sudden? _

Kira stared at the girl lying in front of her, eyes wide. She was breathless, and realized she was only _seconds_ away from death—yet _again_. The Grim Reaper thought he had destroyed her entirely, but Hiroshi found her on the brink of death and saved her. He brought her to this place, believing it was empty, only to find a witch lived here as well—that witch being Medusa. She looked down at her hand, looking for Hiroshi's reflection against the crossbow, but couldn't find him there. She realized he was silent during the entire fight—_but why?_

Maka heard something transform behind her, and suddenly her hands felt empty. She realized Soul must've transformed back into human form. She had difficulty rolling onto her knees due to the numbness of her hands. When she finally positioned herself right, she looked up, to find Soul standing up, staring down at her.

"Soul…" Maka sighed, "I was so worried about you—"

There was a flash of white, and Soul's right arm turned into the red and black blade of the scythe. He raised it up in the air and then grinned wildly down at Maka.

"You should be worrying about _yourself_!" Soul's pupils dilated, and he laughed crazily. Maka's eyes widened in fear, and Soul swung the blade down with all his might.

Maka raised her arms for cover, and there was a loud _CLAAAANG! _as the blade made contact with _something_.

Slowly, Maka dropped her arms and saw the back of a human form kneeling in front of her. His blonde hair was full of dirt and dust; his arm was shaking in crossbow form as he put as much force as he could to stop the blade. His silver eyes glared up at Soul's, and he whispered,

"_I'd say the same thing to you."_

—**END OF CHAPTER 6—**

**

* * *

**

**AN: If you don't get what Hiroshi meant by "I'd say the same thing to you," he said that to Soul after Soul says "you should be worrying about yourself!" which means Soul should be worrying about HIMSELF, because Hiroshi's going to KICK SOME BUTT!**

**Did… that make any sense? xD**

**Anyways, yes, this was a rather long chappy. Hope it makes up for the wait! Hope you like it, too :D**

**I feel like the fight scene between Kira, Kid and Stein was a teeny bit short, but I put just enough information there for you guys to know. I mean, Stein now knows about Medusa now... but then again he was thrown off the mountain... lol xD  
**

**Fight scenes… they take a lot of imagination and TIME. I probably wont be updating the next chapter soon, but don't give up on me now, cause I ain't giving up on this story! I swear I'll finish it! BELIEVE IT!**

**See you guys in a few !**

**-JUSTINE**


	7. Chapter 7

**AN: Long time no see guys :) Sorry for the super long no update part. I was having major writers block. You should see my whiteboard up in my room, it has all these details about what I should do for the story. I know how to start it up and work it down now, so I should be able to update at least once a week. I'm going to the beach next week though, so the earliest I'll update will probably be Thursday.**

**I kind of in a rush to upload this, cause I wanna get this up as fast as I can, so I apologize ahead of time for the mistakes you will find. I'll make sure to go around and edit the chapter when I'm done with the story.**

**I won't say any more. Here you go then, chapter 7.**

**Chapter 7 – To Lose Is To Gain**

"_Soul…" Maka sighed, "I was so worried about you—"_

_There was a flash of white, and Soul's right arm turned into the red and black blade of the scythe. He raised it up in the air and then grinned wildly down at Maka._

"_You should be worrying about yourself!" Soul's pupils dilated, and he laughed crazily. Maka's eyes widened in fear, and Soul swung the blade down with all his might._

_Maka raised her arms for cover, and there was a loud CLAAAANG! as the blade made contact with something._

_Slowly, Maka dropped her arms and saw the back of a human form kneeling in front of her. His blonde hair was full of dirt and dust; his arm was shaking in crossbow form as he put as much force as he could to stop the blade. His silver eyes glared up at Soul's, and he whispered,_

"_I'd say the same thing to you."_

Soul eyed the boy dangerously, as he pushed his arm with more force. Hiroshi gritted his teeth and kept his kneeling stance, not allowing him to move any further.

"H-Hiroshi…" he heard Kira whisper behind him.

"You're one to talk!" Soul growled, _"Now, get out of my way!"_

"REMEMBER WHAT YOU TOLD ME?" Hiroshi yelled, pushing upward, taking a standing stance, and Soul backed off, throwing his arm in front of him for protection. "YOU SAID YOU CARED ABOUT MAKA!"

"I don't care about someone that _uses _other people," Soul laughed, and Maka shivered at his words. _What was he talking about?_

"The only reason I'm here is to get rid of everyone in Medusa's way," Soul shrugged, "So I suggest you get the hell out. You're supposed to be helping us."

"Not if it means hurting Maka!" Hiroshi said, taking a hold of my shivering hand. "And if I have to go against Medusa's orders to protect her, I will!"

Soul shrugged again, as if uncaring, and said, "Well, your loss." And in a flash, appeared in front of Hiroshi and kicked him in the stomach, sending him flying straight at Maka. Maka opened her arms to catch him, and she slid across the room, maintaining her balance from the collision. She sighed when she stopped and asked, "Hiroshi, are you alright?"

Hiroshi held his stomach, face scrunched in pain, "Yeah… Maka… I'm sorry."

Maka knelt down and shook her head. "Please, don't apologize," and then she glared over at Soul who was walking towards them casually, "…and if you don't mind…"

Maka extended her hand out, staring at Hiroshi intently. Hiroshi understood her intentions and held her hand, immediately transforming into the crossbow he was.

"Maka," Soul sighed and shook his head innocently, "Choosing someone else over _me_? That makes me sad."

Maka glared and raised Hiroshi upward. "Soul…attempting to _kill _me? That makes me… mad." And she fired an arrow directly at Soul.

Soul caught it easily and tossed it aside. "It's a shame you don't know how to use your weapon. What's it feel like, Hiroshi? Being the last and only option for Maka?"

"Soul you were _never _the only option!" Maka yelled, her hand shaking in front of her, "I waited for you!"

Soul rolled his eyes, "Then you're living in a fantasy. Something like this is never going to happen again," he glared at her, "…_especially _when I'm through with you!"

As Soul dashed for Maka, Kira slowly edged away from the scene. She took this opportunity to run, seeing as at the moment, she was completely forgotten about. She knew she had to get back to Medusa, and now was the perfect time. Slowly, she disappeared out of the hidden room and took the motorcycle back to Death City.

Soul's scythe arm made contact with Hiroshi's bow as Maka attempted to block the attack. She heard Hiroshi groan in pain and shook her head. _I can't use Hiroshi as a shield! There's a reason he's a long ranged weapon!_

Maka jumped back, panting, _Soul is a close ranged weapon. As long as I stay away, I have the advantage._

Maka felt someone kick her back and she flew across the room and rolled onto the floor. She groaned and looked up to see Soul on the other side. He had flashed behind her. _How was he so fast?_

"I won't allow you to get away," Soul scoffed, walking forward, "I have all the advantage here."

Maka stood up shakily. "W-why don't you just… get it over with then?"

Soul stopped in his tracks.

"Why don't you just _kill _me then?"

"Maka, don't urge him!" Hiroshi yelled.

Soul didn't speak. His hands were shaking. He felt almost as if he was regaining consciousness after blacking out from the ogre. The ogre, too, had felt this and growled in annoyance. _**Persistent people!**_ It thought. _**You'll never win! You cannot fight me, Soul Eater! I am in control now!**_

_I can… _Soul growled back at it. _Just… enough… to do what's right._

_**What's right? What are you planning to do Soul Eater?**_

Soul eyed Maka's pocket carefully. Yes. He knew what he had to do.

Maka felt Hiroshi transform out of her hand and back into his human form. He raised his hand, which he transformed into a bow and fired an arrow below Soul. The beeping sound brought Soul back to reality but he was too late and was sent flying to the other side of the room, face first onto a wall. He groaned and fell down, blood trailing down his head.

"Don't look away from us!" Hiroshi growled. "I'll finish you here!"

"HIROSHI STOP!" Maka yelled when Hiroshi ran for Soul. "DON'T KILL HIM!"

She felt useless. Without her weapon, she couldn't do anything. Right now, she could be considered as a simple human being. She was weak. Entirely weak. And she turned away from the scene, raising her hands to her ears, wanting to leave. To escape. To get out. Wishing and hoping everything would just stop.

Although she was covering her ears, the loud explosion sound could still be heard. She felt numb. _Was it… all over? Was Soul…gone?_

Slowly, Maka raised herself from the ground, arms and legs still shaking. She was surprised, when she spotted Hiroshi lying face down on the ground not too far away from her. What…exactly happened?

Suddenly, she spotted Soul to her side as he walked closer to her, head down. Maka shook her head. _This… this is it. I can't do anything anymore._

"Finally," Soul whispered quietly, reaching Maka and raising his scythe arm. "Maka... I'm sorry."

Maka widened her eyes in surprise.

_**COME BACK TO THE MADNESS, SOUL EATER! **_The ogre yelled, attempting to control Soul once again. _**OR I'LL KILL HER!**_

But as the ogre slashed for Maka's chest, for her heart, Soul was able to tilt his body just enough. His scythe arm slashed Maka's thigh, causing pieces of her skirt to shred and blood to splatter on to the ground. She yelled in pain and kneeled down, helpless.

Her face was scrunched up in pain, and Maka placed a hand on her thigh. She felt the wound wasn't that deep—not as the deep as the arrow from before—and blood oozed on her fingers.

But there was something other than blood. Something soft, but rough. Almost paper-like. _Paper like_…

Maka couldn't look. She didn't want to look. Her chest felt heavy, full of guilt, and her eyes began to water. Slowly, she raised her hand, and in between her fingers laid a small piece of paper. She stopped breathing, her eyes staring at it in disbelief.

_No…_She thought. Slowly, she turned her head to see a portion of the drawing on the floor, and bits and pieces of it scattered around, along with her skirt, and some splattered by her own blood. She heard something transform, and when she looked behind her, Soul lay facedown on the ground not far from her, holding his body together, as if he was breaking apart.

"SOUL!" Maka yelled in horror, attempting to stand up, but falling forward. She clutched her leg, and cursed, and continued to crawl towards him. When she reached him, she was sniffing, tears pouring down her face. She flipped him to face her and placed his head on her lap. She didn't care anymore if her thigh was hurting. She didn't care about _anything_. The only thing she cared about now was Soul.

She began to stroke his hair, his face, his torso. She leaned down and pressed her forehead against his, sighing, "Stay with me, Soul. Stay with me."

She heard a groan and Soul stirred, muttering, "M-Maka… good. Y-you're alive."

"_Soul,"_ Maka whispered, in pain, but not from her thigh. She shook her head, not accepting what was happening. _"I'm so sorry…_"

Why was she so careless? Why did she bring the drawing with her in the first place? But no… Medusa had given her the drawing before she left. Could it be… she knew this would happen?

"Why are you apologizing, you idiot?" he chuckled, breathless, and Maka continued to cry silently, hugging Soul to her chest. He eyed the pieces of paper that were scattered one the floor. "If I didn't do that, you would've died."

Maka tightened her grip. "Soul, you… knew?"

"I already knew about it. Yeah."

Maka bit her lip, more tears pouring out of her eyes. "I should have told you from the start. But, I was afraid to lose you. I was afraid of the thought that one day, you'd disappear forever. Because you were a drawing," she sniffed, "And I thought… if you didn't know… then there was no way you could die. There was no way you would leave me. And now… it's all my fault…"

Soul raised his arm to stroke Maka's cheek and the tears that poured down, "Stop crying. You look stupid when you cry."

She shook her head, speechless. She didn't know what to say anymore. She never thought this day would ever come. She felt so irresponsible. The foreign substance in Soul was evil, and she accepted it far too easily. She wasn't thinking. She just wanted to win. And Soul… he protected her.

Maka opened her eyes to stare at Soul, and she realized that the light that formed him at the very beginning appeared again, only this time, it was breaking him apart. Her eyes widened and she hung onto him. "SOUL—"

"I was the one who destroyed myself," Soul stated, sighing, "N-nothing is your fault, Maka. Please s-stop blaming yourself."

"YOU CAN'T LEAVE ME!"

Soul's legs took the shape of the light, and the light was reaching his torso. "Maka, I know you'll find your perfect weapon one day," Soul said, "And I promise it won't be some stupid creation that you'll have to worry over all the time."

"What are you talking about, Soul?" Maka shook her head, "Only you… you could only be…"

"Come on Maka," Soul said, the light finally reaching his neck, "This is it. No goodbyes…would be… rude."

Maka couldn't do it. She couldn't say it. This couldn't be goodbye. This couldn't be the end. It just… couldn't be. There were so many things she wanted to do. So many things she wanted to say to him. But she never thought she'd have to tell him like this.

"Alright then, flat-chest," Soul said, "See you around."

The light covered Soul's smiling face, and then he closed his eyes; and Soul disappeared, fading from her grasp.

Maka slumped forward onto the cold ground, shivering, crying. It was only then, that she was able to muster up the courage to tell him how much she cared for him. How much she loved him.

But it was too late now. Soul was gone.

Tired, injured and heartbroken, she blacked out.

* * *

Maka found herself waking up, dazed. She was in a vehicle. She felt it shaking. Slowly, she opened her eyes and took note of her surroundings. She was back in the desert. On the doom buggy. But it was a very cool night, and the cold wind caressed her face, dry from the tears.

The tears. Because… Soul was gone.

Maka shook her head, raising her hand to her eyes. _Stop crying. Stop crying._

"I'm sorry." A voice called out. She looked above to see Kid on his skateboard, keeping pace with the car. He descended so that he was leveled with Maka. Maka noticed his injuries were all healed. Probably because of his Shinigami powers.

"Stein woke me up after everything. I only realized it when I saw the paper… I'm sorry, Maka."

"Where are we going?" Maka asked, wanting to change the subject. She had to forget about Soul. He's gone now. Gone.

"Back to Death City," Kid stated, "Kira took the motorcycle back… to Medusa. We can't seem to contact Death City so we don't know what's going on…"

Oh, _right_. Kira, the perfect meister. She was still… alive. Maka had completely forgotten all about her. She was too focused on the fight between Hiroshi and—

"Hiroshi!" Maka yelled, only to jolt Hiroshi awake, as he was sitting at the back of the doom buggy.

"_Oh,_" Maka sighed, "Thank goodness… you're safe."

"How long was I out?" Hiroshi asked, confused.

"A day. We're almost there. It's only a few meters ahead." Kid replied, ascending once again.

The sight of Death City didn't bring the happiness that it was supposed to—the feeling of being back home. Why would it, when smoke rose above the dancing fires, and screams and shouts were heard coming from it? Maka was confused. How is it that, in 5 or 6 days, all of this has happened?

Medusa must have been working on this for a very long time. For… four months. The four months that she was gone. Healing Kira…

It was all perfectly clear now.

Suddenly, the car drifted to the left and something swooped down from above. Maka held onto the car door tightly, and looked to her left to see Kid swept up by something.

"KID!" Maka yelled, and looked to her right, to see Stein driving. He was sweating, with blood on his face, hands gripped tightly onto the steering wheel. "Stein, what's… going on?"

"It's Medusa." Stein said, and drifted right this time as something swooped down again. Hiroshi transformed his arm into a crossbow, and fired. An ear-splitting scream was heard and Maka covered her ears in pain as a body landed on the doom buggy. She shrieked, because the body was twitching endlessly. It took the form of a normal human, but its eyes were a dark gold color. Hiroshi kicked it off quickly, and it rolled across the sandy ground.

"What the hell was that?" Maka yelled, still gripping onto the car door tightly.

"That's what Medusa's up to," Hiroshi said, the doom buggy now entering Death City's ground, "She used the black blood to create these…things."

"They're not just things," Stein commented, "They're… perfect weapons. Not so perfect anymore."

Maka's eyes widened. Medusa was creating… perfect weapons? "But they can't be controlled! How are they listening to her?"

The doom buggy skidded to a stop, and Maka got out of the car carefully. Suddenly, another figure with dark gold eyes appeared from the corner and charged at her. She took a step back, opening her hand, "SOUL—"

Then she forgot. He was gone.

Hiroshi aimed his crossbow at the running figure and shot again, piercing its head directly. It twitched back and onto the ground. Maka looked down at the floor, ashamed. Soul…

"I found her," she heard Hiroshi comment, pointing upwards.

Maka looked up to see Medusa glaring down at the new company. "Well, well, well… look who arrived alive."

Maka growled, "Medusa…"

Medusa smiled at Maka, clapping her hands together. It was then that Maka noticed she was holding an unusual black pen and a notebook. "Oh Maka dear! It's so nice to see you again!"

"What are you planning?"

Medusa smiled wider and held up the pen. "Well I might as well tell you, since you wont be alive for very long. See this over here? It's a pen that gives off black blood as ink. I got the idea after I took a look at Soul's drawing," and then she innocently looked around, "Speaking of which, where _is _he?"

Maka felt as if something stabbed her heart. Her knees wobbled and she fell down to the floor. Medusa sighed, "_Oh, that's right_. He's _gone_. Because why again? Because you were so reckless."

Maka shook her head. "No… it… wasn't my fault."

"Stop denying it," Medusa hissed, "You know yourself that you're at fault. For _everything_. For even bringing him to this world."

Maka continued shaking her head and Hiroshi glared at Medusa. "STOP IT! Stop hurting her!"

Medusa raised an eyebrow, "I knew it. I knew you'd betray me one day. How pathetic, Hiroshi, falling for a girl that's _just as pathetic_. She'll probably kill you next."

Hiroshi gritted his teeth as Medusa shrugged, "Oh well. It's time to get this over with."

Medusa opened her notebook and began drawing something with the pen. Suddenly, a figure pops out of the notebook and lands on the ground in front of Hiroshi, Maka and Stein. Its messy blonde hair waved against the wind, and it slowly raised its head, meeting Maka's eyes with gold ones.

Only… its face was Hiroshi's.

Hiroshi's eyes widened, "What the—"

Suddenly, its arm turned into a crossbow, just like Hiroshi's, and he aimed it at Maka, firing. Two shots were heard from above and purple bullets stopped the arrow from hitting her. Maka looked up to see Kid on his skateboard. "These things are inhumane."

Maka sighed in relief, glad to see Kid was alright. "Kid…"

Medusa laughed haughtily, "Let's not forget you created one of them."

Kid glared at Medusa so darkly, Maka only wished looks could really kill.

"Soul was an exception," Kid said, raising his guns to point at Medusa. "How dare you compare him to these… _things_."

Medusa laughed, "You remind me so much of your father! How pitiful he can't join us here."

Kid tightened his grip on his guns, "What the hell did you do to him!"

Suddenly, from the smoke of the blast, the fake Hiroshi jumped up at Kid, stabbing an arrow into Kid's leg and hanging onto his skateboard. Kid lost his balance and fell backward off his skateboard. Maka's eyes widened, "KID!"

Liz and Patty transformed just in time to catch Kid as they landed on the doom buggy. Patty glared up at the thing, annoyed and pissed beyond belief that it would harm her meister. "Liz…"

Liz had never seen Patty this angry before, but knew she shouldn't hesitate, and immediately transformed back into a gun and into Patty's hands. Patty glared at the fake Hiroshi, and whispered, "_I'll handle him_."

Kid groaned and pulled the arrow out from his leg, observing the wound. It was pretty bad. He called out, "Patty, don't—"

"You're in no shape to fight!" Patty growled, raising Liz, "Just because you think you're all healed cause of your _stupid _Shinigami powers doesn't mean it's true!"

Kid's eyes widened. Patty continued, "Leave this to us for once! To me..."

Before Kid could even continue to object, Patty ran for the fake Hiroshi firing Liz multiple times as it staggered backwards from the soul bullets. Patty reached the fake Hiroshi and kicked it. It flew to the other side of the road. They disappeared through the smoke before Kid could stand up to stop her.

Medusa rolled her eyes, "How _annoying_… Well, at least _two _of you are weaponless now," Then she laughed, "Ohhhh, how _fun _this will be!"

Medusa began drawing again, and Stein took this as the perfect time to lunge at her. He composed his soul attack in his hand and was about to strike at Medusa when something kicked him. He smashed into the side of the building. Kira's figure landed on the ground next to the big piles of rocks from the building, smirking at Stein. "You're still _alive_? What a surprise…"

Kira turned around and faced Hiroshi, glaring this time. "And _you're_ still here, too."

Hiroshi growled, his silver eyes growing dark. Maka stared at him and extended her hand, "Hiroshi—"

"No Maka, stay out of this," Hiroshi said, "You can't use me. I'm not your type of weapon."

Maka felt a pang at her chest at the rejection, "Hiroshi, you—"

Hiroshi ignored her and faced Kid, "Kid. You okay with this?"

Kid smirked, extending his hand, "You're pretty symmetrical, anyway."

Maka could only watch, as Hiroshi and Kid teamed up to go against Kira. They had the advantage, since Kira had no weapon in her hands. But Medusa had finished drawing and Kira twirled and caught something in both her hands, landing on the ground again. She raised them, two twin black pistols, and fired at Kid. Kid, stunned, was able to dodge one shot but got hit by the other. Kira laughed, twirling the pistols in her hands as Kid got up from the ground. "How does it feel being attacked by your own weapon?"

_Of course_, Maka thought, _Kira's a perfect meister. She can handle any weapon at all._

"They're not my weapons," Kid growled, "Those are not Liz and Patty!"

As they continued to fight, Maka approached Stein who was still under the debris of rocks. She slowly pulled him out and Stein held his head, groaning, "Maka…"

"Stein-sensei," Maka said, holding onto his arm, "Are you alright?"

"M-Maka listen to me. You have to go to where Medusa trapped Shinigami-sama."

"No, I want to fight! I can help! I can! I just need someone to—"

"Maka, as long as Medusa has that pen with black blood, she will keep creating these things. None of us can get any closer to her, _especially you, _being weaponless! You have to get Shinigami-sama to destroy that pen! Then all of these things will disappear in an instant!"

"How can you be so sure?" Maka asked, shaking her head.

Stein sat up, replying, "I've been on to Medusa for awhile now. I've seen and heard what she's up to. I just never had the proper proof for it. Now go! Contact Shinigami-sama and ask him where he is. I'm sure you'll still be able to do it."

Maka nodded. If this was the only thing she could do, then she would do it. "Okay."

She stood up, and walked away from the scene as inconspicuously as she could. But Medusa caught her figure as soon as she entered the shadows. Medusa smirked, eyeing her pen and then looking at the empty paper on her notebook. She tapped the pen to her chin and sighed in amusement, "Ah…"

Maka ran down an empty alley and leaned on a glass wall, panting from running. Her feet were still shaking from everything that's happened. Soul's death, as well as the creepy, horrible weapons Medusa was creating. If the only way to destroy them all was to get Shinigami-sama, then she'd do it.

"42-42-564… whenever you want to knock on death's door." She said, writing down these numbers on the glass.

For awhile, nothing happened, and then she could hear the sound of something like a broken radio, and a voice saying something in between the sounds. Flashes of Shinigami-sama appeared on the glass, before disappearing again and again.

"Shinigami-sama?" Maka asked, worried. _What was going on?_

"Maka—goodness—right here—us at the—we'll be—" Shinigami-sama attempted to say something, but Maka couldn't hear it properly.

"I… I can't understand," Maka said, confused, "Please repeat it one more time, Shinigami-sama! Slowly!"

"Mirror—Room—"

"The Mirror room…" Maka sighed, "She's trapped them there. But how…"

"Maka—behind—you!"

Maka's eyes widened and the glass in front of her shattered, breaking the connection she had with Shinigami-sama. She stepped back and landed against someone's chest. A strong arm made its way around her shoulders, and she heard a familiar voice whisper, "_Maka_…"

Maka froze. With no hesitation, she turned to face him—he who she thought was dead. Gone. Forever. But he was right here, holding her. She looked up at him. His white hair was glowing from the lights above, and he was wearing the same yellow jacket she had given him before. But there was something different about him. Something odd.

When Maka met his eyes, she realized, _Soul's eyes aren't gold. They're red._

**—END OF CHAPTER 7—**

**AN: Oh, yes, and if you're wondering, "Heeey.. .wasn't Stein thrown out the mountain? Why the hell is he alive?" That's because Stein is Stein, of course he can't die. Besides, he grabbed onto a tree branch just in time. He's injured, but he got back to camp in time to realize the motorcycle was gone, and Kira had left. That's when he got back up to get Kid and Maka. And well… Soul…**

… ***silence***

**I actually cried writing that scene, seriously, and I'm not joking. I'm a rather emotional person, and I find myself very** _**heartless **_**for doing this. I even wrote something to **_**myself**_** when I finished writing this chapter:**

TO THE AUTHOR: YES, YOU, JUSTINE YOU! YOU HORRIBLE HORRIBLE PERSON FOR MAKING SOUL DISAPPEAR AND DIE HOW DARE YOU HOOOOW DARE YOU ! I HATE YOU AND YOUR STUPID STORYLINES UGH!

**xD It's embarrassing to show, but I thought it was kind of funny, cause I was talking to myself and sort of yelling at myself… I was writing non-stop till 2AM…. Haha. xD**

***sniff* But… stories always have happy endings RIGHT?**

**RIGHT? :( Well… no, maybe not all the time…**

**Its summer, and I find myself with free time almost all the time. But I don't think I can update this story every 5 days now, but I will definitely try. It seems the story has gotten shorter, so I'll finish this in probably the next two chapters. I know I have all the time in the world, but even right now I have writer's block, so give me a few more extra days and I'll be set! Hopefully…**

**-JUSTINE**


	8. Chapter 8

**A/N: Is an explanation necessary? D: Well… my Soul Eater fever died down for awhile, and I've been busy with school. (Yes, my school actually starts June and ends March!) And I've gotten into Legend of Korra, and I've been drawing a lot on deviantart.**

**If you want to check my Soul Eater drawings out, my username is justixoxo! I also made some Legend of Korra ones :) OH OH, and I drew Hiroshi there too! So now you'll see how he looks like it my perspective :D**

**AND YES IT'S BEEN ALMOST 4 MONTHS T_T My deepest, most humblest apologies T_T You most definitely deserve this chapter, and I hope you're still hyped up to read it.**

**So, no more distractions! You guys have waited long enough! Here you go!**

**Chapter 8 – Loopholes**

"_Maka—behind—you!"_

_Maka's eyes widened and the glass in front of her shattered, breaking the connection she had with Shinigami-sama. She stepped back and landed against someone's chest. A strong arm made its way around her shoulders, and she heard a familiar voice whisper, "Maka…"_

_Maka froze. With no hesitation, she turned to face him—he who she thought was dead. Gone. Forever. But he was right here, holding her. She looked up at him. His white hair was glowing from the lights above, and he was wearing the same yellow jacket she had given him before. But there was something different about him. Something odd._

_When Maka met his eyes, she realized, Soul's eyes aren't gold. They're red._

She pushed him backwards and stepped away from him. "St-stay away from me!"

"Maka…" Soul whispered, stepping closer, "What's wrong? Don't you recognize me?"

Maka shook her head, "No! You're _not _Soul! You can't be him!"

Soul pursed his lips and stared at Maka sadly, and then he stepped forward again, causing Maka to jolt back hesitantly. "Maka…You have to believe me."

Maka shook her head again. "I… I can't."

Soul reached Maka and held her gloved hand. The familiarity of those hands brought a tingling feeling in her chest. She wondered now if this truly was Soul. If he was really back for good. But when she looked up to stare into his eyes again, she knew it was impossible. She was absolutely positive. Absolutely certain. That this was _not _Soul.

She pulled her hand back roughly and shook her head, "You're just like those—those _things _out there! Those perfect weapons!"

Soul looked down at the ground, and Maka knew she was right. His shoulders began to shake as he laughed, "Jeez, it's my _eyes_, isn't it? Damn, and I thought this was going to be easy…"

"Where did you come from?" Maka asked. If this wasn't Soul... then who _is _this person?

"From Medusa, of course," Soul laughed again. "She used that pen to bring me back. It had the same black blood she used the control me the first time."

_The first time_? Maka thought. And then she realized, _When Medusa still had my drawing…she altered it somehow. She must've used the black blood and placed it in Soul's drawing… that's how the black blood went into Soul! That's how it controlled him!_

Maka stepped back again as Soul transformed his arm into the familiar black and red scythe, "Oh well… more fun for me."

"Wh-what are you doing?" Maka cried, her legs shaking. She was completely useless without a weapon. She had no way to fight. Not now. Especially not with Soul gone.

Soul rolled his eyes, "It must be obvious. I'm going to kill you," and then he smirked, "Just following orders, Maka."

And then she took off, running down the alleyway, hoping she'd be able to reach Stein and the others again before he could catch up to her. She squinted her eyes, because she saw something shift. The ground was changing, and the debris and cemented flooring began to change into familiar tiles… Red and black ones. Slowly, the buildings were fading, until there was nothing left but an endless room of red and black tiles. But Maka continued to run. She didn't stop.

_I must be going crazy! _Maka thought, _This cannot be happening!_

From afar, she spotted the familiar grand piano, and a small form sitting on it. Immediately, she picked up her pace, and approached the creature.

She panted now, and then looked back to check if Soul was following her. But there was no one.

"_**Hello, Maka."**_ The creature greeted her politely, nodding to acknowledge her presence.

"Why are you alive?" Maka asked, slightly concerned that she could see the creature. She knew that this… ogre…was a part of Soul. That lived in Soul due to the black blood. Because when Medusa had the drawing of Soul, she was able to alter it. So if Soul was gone, he should be dead, too.

"_**Hmm…you don't like me, do you, Maka?"**_ The imp asked sadly.

"No," Maka growled, "Not even the tiniest bit."

"_**I understand how you feel. I apologize for before—about taking over your body without any warning."**_

"Why am I here?" Maka asked, looking around again. "What…do you want from me?"

The imp smirked widely. _**"You can tell that I want something?"**_

"There can't be any other reason," Maka spoke, "_But_, I'm never listening to what you have to say! EVER AGAIN! There was no point at all coming here—or bringing me here for that matter!"

"_**Do you know why I'm here in the first place, Ms. Albarn?"**_

Maka pursed her lips and glared at the little ogre. "I don't have to know—"

"_**The only reason you can see me, Maka, is because somewhere, Soul is still alive."**_

Maka's breath hitched in surprise, and she didn't realize her hand grasped the front of her shirt tightly. What he said… couldn't be possible. Soul was gone. She had accepted that already. Or…had she really? Just awhile back… she was almost willing to accept that that version of Soul was the real Soul… but it turned out to be a fake.

"Stop lying!" Maka yelled, her hand grasping locks of her bangs.

"_**I believe I've told you this before," **_the ogre said, shifting positions on the piano, _**"But I can't lie…"**_

Maka dropped her hand from her hair and stared at the ogre. "Give me one good reason…why Soul would…be alive…"

The ogre smirked widely. _**"Do you remember how I took over you body?"**_

Maka shivered. All she could really remember was blacking out. She couldn't even remember what she had done before waking up again. "N-no. I don't even—"

"_**It's because you and Evans soul resonated," **_the ogre stated, _**"Because of that, I was able to connect to your soul. And that is another reason why I'm here; because you are still alive, and a part of me lives in you. But the only reason you can **_**see **_**me now, is because somewhere, my origin, Soul, is alive."**_

Maka opened her mouth to reply—but what was she going to say, anyway? The ogre states he can't lie, so everything he's been saying until now has been the truth. Even that time, before he took over her body, he said he could give her power; that he could help her win against Kira. And he didn't lie. She almost defeated Kira (or that's what Kid said). So does this mean that…somewhere…Soul is alive?

"_**What has been occurring…that I do not know about?" **_The ogre asked Maka. _**"I cannot see without a body; therefore I do not know."**_

"It's…Medusa," Maka replied. There was no point in keeping it from him. If this was the only way… "She's…found a way to create perfect weapons using the Black Blood…"

The ogre smirked at this—probably because he was the result of said Black Blood. _**"Yes, I remember. She's been working on that for quite awhile,"**_

"Death City…is in chaos…" Maka sighed sadly, "And the Grim Reaper himself is trapped and can't be found…. And I'm being chased—"

"_**Chased?" **_The ogre blinked. _**"Oh dear…Maybe this wasn't the right time to talk to you…"**_

"Excuse me?" Maka asked, confused. "I don't think I understa—"

Maka then felt a searing pain as something cut through her side. She screamed and clutched her side, falling to her knees—though nothing was coming out. Her face was scrunched up in pain as she looked up at the ogre. "H-How?"

"_**As you are talking to me, whatever is happening outside of your mind—outside of your soul—is still occurring. It seems your chaser has caught up to you."**_

Maka bit her lip. She knew she was still running; she could sense it. But because she was talking to the ogre, she was distracted.

"_**Who is…chasing you, Maka?" **_the ogre asked cautiously. _**"That injury seems almost… familiar."**_

It took awhile for Maka to reply—not only because her side was in pain, but also because it was hard for her to accept it. But she did. "Soul."

The ogre grinned so widely, and so immediately, that you could see every tooth. _**"So I was correct."**_

"NO!" Maka yelled, shaking her head wildly. "YOU'RE NOT! That creature is NOT Soul! Soul would never… hurt me like this! He's… he's not Soul…"

"_**On the contrary, he is," **_the ogre said, almost casually, like it wasn't a big deal. _**"And that's the only reason you can see me. You say Medusa is making these perfect weapons? I'm willing to bet she made Soul, too."**_

"She did…" Maka said, feeling another cut on her calf. She inhaled deeply and then continued, "Soul said so…"

"_**Listen closely, Maka," **_the ogre said, and Maka limped over to him. _**"There is a way to get Soul back. Your Soul."**_

Maka looked down at the floor. "Why…do you want to help me so much?"

The ogre scoffed. _**"Maka, please. The only reason I want Soul back is so that I can live again. Fully. But you can pretend I'm doing this for you too, if you want."**_

Maka glared at the ogre's straight-forwardness, but knew that what he meant was probably true, as always. "Just get on with it."

The ogre began, _**"The easiest way to get Soul back is to Soul Resonate with him. I am, what Medusa would say, an early version of the Black Blood. I am not like the other versions that she finalized—ones that are in her complete control. She did this research when you left to find Kira."**_

"So," Maka said, trying to understand what he was trying to say, "What you're saying, is that she can't control you? But how does that help with—"

"_**You haven't let me finish,"**_the ogre tutted, _**"But you're right, Maka. I can't be controlled. Which is why if you Soul Resonate with this Soul, I can overcome the Black Blood and bring back the original Soul that we know and long for… before he killed us both, of course,"**_The ogre rolls his eyes at this.

"_**It will be easy for me to take over this finalized version of the Black Blood, because, although it is final, it is forced to listen to Medusa—and therefore has to be less powerful than me."**_ The ogre laughs haughtily, but then stares at Maka with complete seriousness, _**"The only problem…is getting him to Soul Resonate with you. That will be up to you, and you only. Your problem, not mine,"**_

"Why can't you help me!" Maka insisted, "Why can't you control me and take over my body! I could be more powerful, and I could get Soul back!"

The ogre frowned sadly and replied, _**"I can't. It was a promise I made. With Soul. He said I was never allowed to take over your body ever again. And as I said a hundred times before, Maka, I can't tell lies."**_

"_**Don't die on us now, Maka dear." **_The ogre sighed, giving a light wave. Maka turned around and realized the black and red tiles were changing—changing back into the alleyways of Death City. Maka's eyes widened, and she took off, zipping right passed the ogre who was still on the piano.

The ogre, his face now plastered with a sad smile, turned around, calling out, _**"Soul and I look forward to seeing you again!"**_

Soon, Maka found she was walking on cement ground again, and the red and black tiles had completely vanished. Her hand was still holding her previous injury, except this time, her white gloves were covered in blood. She gasped as the pain came back, and quickly looked behind her to see Soul gone.

Maka, confused, began to slow down to a walk, thankful she was finally able to rest after running for so long. She walked inside an abandoned building, still panting for air. The place was eerie and damp, with no sign of life inside. Maka leaned against the wall, and slowly slid to the ground, her hands reaching her head. She didn't care if she was all bloodied up and messy anymore. She had to focus on getting Soul to Soul Resonate with her. But why was it, that Soul told the imp to never control her ever again? By now, the imp could've taken this matter into his own hands, and he could have successful gotten his "origin" back… So why is it… that he can't tell lies?

_Right,_ Maka thought, _Because he's an old version of Black Blood. It was a test Medusa used on him. She probably thought that if he didn't tell lies, she could control him. But that never stopped him. And I can't let this stop me… I can get Soul back…_

She heard metal scraping on the ground and her head whipped up in surprise. She looked to her right, and could hear someone sniffing in the air.

"I can smell your blood," she recognized Soul's voice, "It's all over my blade…"

Maka froze as she heard his footsteps disappear as he passed the building. Maka refused to let out a single ounce of breath—afraid he would hear it, even the slightest bit.

"In fact…" Maka heard him, right behind her and through the wall, "…It leaves a TRAIL!"

Maka leaped up as fast as she could; and the wall behind her tumbled down as Soul sliced his way through it. Maka rolled on the ground, onto the debris on the floor. She gritted her teeth at her new cuts, and stood up as Soul walked through the hole. "You can't keep this up forever!" Soul growled, and Maka took off and up the staircase.

**Meanwhile… (With Patty, Liz and the fake Hiroshi)**

Patty grunted as she tumbled across the ground after being kicked down by Hiroshi. Or should she say, the fake Hiroshi. He smirked down at her and replied, "You're no match for me, and I know you know that. Give it up already, little girl."

Patty lifted her head up from the ground—but she couldn't deny the fact that she was tired and beaten down. She kept a tight grip on Liz's gun form though.

"Come on, Patty. Let's trade turns again!" Liz pleaded.

Patty pouted. "But you just transformed back into a gun! You have to rest!"

"No, YOU need to rest! Now let me handle this okay? I've sort of got an idea! Why don't you…look for one of his weaknesses or something?"

Patty's lower lip jutted out more, but then she replied, "I trust you Liz! Don't get yourself hurt just cause you're tiiiiirred!"

Liz smirked, "Me? No way! I'm not breaking any nails today!"

And they switched positions.

Hiroshi glared at them. "You two are very persistent, aren't you? Stubborn girls." And he raises his crossbow arm.

Liz immediately raised Patty. "DON'T SHOOT!"

Hiroshi glared even harder, "Nothing's stopping me—"

"If you shoot, I'll fire at your arrow." Liz said, "And it'll only explode in the process, and we'll both fly back."

Hiroshi scoffed, replying, "Yeah, I knew that. You think I'd risk my life by doing that?"

But somehow, Patty knew he was going to shoot. Hiroshi was a creation after all. And Medusa could easily bring him back to life. He could care less about sacrifice. All they wanted was to take over Death City. But this was Liz and Patty's home. They too, would sacrifice so much to save it. And then she had an idea.

Whenever Hiroshi fired an explosive arrow, he'd do it quickly. Was it because the minute he loads it on, it starts ticking? 10 seconds at the most, most probably, before it explodes. If she were able to keep it on Hiroshi, then he'd get rid of himself… But she didn't have duct tape or glue—nor did she have any "sticky" abilities.

Maybe…she just needed a sacrifice of her own.

Patty's face appeared on the side of the pistol, and she whispered, "Liz! I've got an idea!"

Liz whispered back, "Well it better be good!"

Patty smiled sadly and replied, "Pretend to give up. And slide me over to him as if you were surrendering. I'll transform back, and knock him down… then, YOU transform back into a gun, and I'll get rid of 'im with my soul waves!"

Liz pouted, "Why do you get to get rid of him?" She sighed, "Oh well. Here goes nothing."

Liz sighed louder and Hiroshi cocked an eyebrow. "Fine. We're at an impasse then. Let's both surrender our weapons and call it a draw, alright?"

Hiroshi eyed Liz curiously, and then at Patty, but then nodded. "Fine…but you surrender first."

Liz shrugged and immediately slid Patty across to him, to the other side.

Hiroshi laughed crazily and yelled, "YOU FOOLS!" raising his crossbow, armed with an explosive arrow, ready to fire—when Patty transformed back into a human, knocking him down into a ground.

And after that, everything seemed to happen in slow motion.

_10 seconds. _Patty noted.

Liz grinned and dashed forward, transforming back into a pistol and into Patty's hands.

Patty immediately lunged for Hiroshi, and restrained him on the ground. She brought Liz directly onto his head, and fired repeatedly—but Hiroshi kept struggling, somehow, still alive.

"YOUR SOUL WAVES WONT HURT ME!" he growled.

_7 seconds._

Patty, still struggling to restrain Hiroshi, brought Liz's gun form to her lips and kissed the top, saying, "I love you so much."

And then, she threw Liz with all her might all the way to the other side of the road; knowing even if she tried to run with Liz in her hands, they wouldn't have made it.

_3 seconds._

And Hiroshi was still alive.

The beeping sound had begun, and Liz transformed back into human form, her eyes filled with horror, feeling the tears begin to fall… "PATTY!"

_BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOM!_

Liz covered her face from the incoming dust and hot air. The echo of the explosion faded—but Liz kept her arms over her face.

_Did Patty…?_

And then, a loud booming laugh came from behind Liz that completely caught her off guard and she fell forward. Immediately recognizing that laughter, she looked behind her to see Black Star, grinning at her widely, supporting a weak Patty. Black Star saluted Liz and said, "Black Star, the almighty, at your service!"

Liz, knowing Hiroshi was dead and that they won, ran towards them and engulfed them in one, giant very un-like Liz hug.

And then the reprimanding began.

**(A/N: Yes, one of the reasons I made Patty the heroine for this section of the story is because she really, truly deserves it. Patty is not as dumb as she looks or seems. She deserves some credit, and I hold no regrets choosing her over Liz. :D Sorry if it's too dramatic or anything, but who can deny sisterly love?)**

**(Stein, Kid and Hiroshi versus Kira and Medusa)**

Kira huffed angrily, blowing a strand of hair out of her face. She wiped off the blood from her cut lip, and glared at the ground. _That stupid Hiroshi's dead. I can feel it. Medusa probably can, too._

Kira looked up at Medusa, who was looking out the other direction and knew she was right. Medusa sensed the fake Hiroshi died. The twin pistols were successful.

"What's the matter?" Kid asked, spitting blood out of his mouth. He smirked, "Did my weapons just kill one of your creatures?"

Kira glared up at Kid, "Don't get all cocky now, boy. Medusa could easily recreate another one if she wanted to."

Kid bit his lip anxiously and eyed Medusa, who seemed to be distracted by the fake Hiroshi's death. He eyed the black, silky-looking pen in her hand as it glinted in the moonlight. All he had to do was destroy that pen. It shouldn't be too hard. He just had to get closer to Medusa.

"I know what you're thinking!" Kira yelled out, and Kid whipped his head back to face her, "You're not going to be able to destroy it. It's indestructible—the Black Blood is indestructible! I'M INDESTRUCTIBLE!"

And she charged for Kid, pistols at the ready.

Medusa was, in fact, _not _distracted by the fake Hiroshi's death. Rather, she had felt the presence of another form of power. Something was in Death City—something that could overcome the power of her Black Blood. It couldn't have been the Grim Reaper, because she was able to trap him inside his own Mirror Room—where he was slowly drowning in Black Blood with his stupid Deathscythe, Spirit. And she would have sensed if he had escaped. So where was it coming from?

She felt it at its strongest—even if it was only a short period of time—and it was contacting someone. But she knew, the minute the "gang" arrived at Death City, that something in the air was different.

And it was probably Maka.

Taking out her pen, she begins to write on her page.

_Kira, ignore these idiots. They're just a distraction. Your target now, is Maka. Kill her before she does something out of hand. Immediately._

Kira, hearing these exact commands in her head, smirks and knocks Kid down on the ground. Kid sits up, ready to shoot an arrow at her when she blows him a kiss and disappears into thin air.

_DAMN IT! _Kid thought, getting up on his feet. _WHERE DID SHE TAKE OFF TOO?_

Kid whipped his head around here and there, and found Stein still lying in the debris. He was too weak to get out, and he lay there, limp. Kid dashed for him and placed Hiroshi down, moving aside the rocks. Hiroshi transformed back into a human, but when he turned around to face Medusa she was gone.

"They all just suddenly disappeared…Like something happened." Hiroshi stated, starting to help Kid get the rocks off of Stein.

"It was probably because they sensed that the fake you died, thanks to Liz and Patty," Kid muttered, pulling Stein out of the pile. Stein began to cough roughly.

"I didn't sense that…?" Hiroshi questioned, his forehead creasing with worry, "But I probably don't want to mess with your girls."

Kid grinned up at him, "No. You don't."

Stein groaned and slowly opened his eyes, staring at the destruction surrounding him. And then he replayed the events that happened before, suddenly jolting upward with a, "Maka!"

Stein, now dizzy from the movement, lay back down on Kid's lap. Hiroshi however, tensed with what he said, and replied, "What about Maka? What's wrong with her?"

"I sent her to go look for the Grim Reaper—to try and contact him to find out where he is. But before I blacked out, I saw…no, you'd think I'm crazy." Stein groaned, his head aching.

"Saw what? Just say it!" Hiroshi growled dangerously.

"I was probably just imagining it…but I saw… I saw Soul chase after her… down that alleyway—"

Hiroshi had taken off the minute Stein pointed out where Maka went; ready to find her. Kid however, decided to stay with Stein (and wait for his weapons to return to him before getting back into battle.) Kid was stunned by the news, and replied, "Th-that's…that's not possible, is it? I thought…Soul was dead…"

But no. He was wrong. If Medusa was able to create another version of Hiroshi…then she would obviously be able to create another version of Soul.

This could only lead to Maka's demise.

**(With Soul and Maka)**

Maka was awfully tired. Her lungs were practically on fire as she paced up the stairs. There was something about this building that was strangely familiar to her. Like she had been in it before somewhere—but she kept that out of her head, seeing as she had to focus on the impending doom that was following after.

Which was Soul.

She still wasn't able to find a way to get Soul to Soul Resonate with her. All she did was run and run and run away from him—because she had no weapon to fight with, and no strength to try.

Maka thought about Soul's decision, and realized that Soul wouldn't want her to be put in any more danger. So in a way, his promise with the imp (of not letting Maka submit to the madness) is saving her. But at the same time, it isn't.

_If only he was here…_ Maka sighed, hiding inside one of the rooms on the 5th floor of the building. _Maybe then I could convince him to take back his promise with the imp…_

Maka heard footsteps again, and tried to control her breath to keep quiet—but she was far too tired. Soul turned the corner and into the room, immediately spotting Maka panting at the other side. "Nowhere to go! Finally, you're mine—"

Maka's eyes widened when Hiroshi appeared out of nowhere, tackling Soul and slamming him down onto the floor. They began to wrestle and throw punches at each other, leaving bruises and cuts on their arms and faces. Maka's legs were shaking from running so much, but also in worry for both of them. For Hiroshi, because he was always a good guy, and was always on her side; and for this fake Soul—because he was the only way to bring back the real Soul.

"Maka, get out of here!" Hiroshi growled, throwing a punch at Soul but missing. "Go find the Grim Reaper! I'll handle him!"

But when Maka was about to run out of the room, she remembered something. That she _could _convince Soul to take back his promise with the imp…because he IS here!

Technically, if THIS Soul takes back his promise…it's just like the REAL Soul is taking back his promise with the imp! And the imp…surely he'd listen, wouldn't he? That way, the imp could take matters into his own hands—and force this Soul to Soul Resonate with her. It was the perfect loophole! She just had to try.

"NO! I'm NOT leaving!" Maka growled, "I'm tired of running away! I can fight him! I'm NOT weak!"

"Maka you don't know what you're sayin—" Soul threw a punch at Hiroshi, stopping his words and knocking him onto the floor. Soul wiped the blood that was spilling from his mouth and glared at Maka,

"You think you can fight _me?_ Have you lost your mind? You don't have enough strength to even move!"

Maka took a standing stance, arms in fists, although she was shaking rapidly, "I can! And I will. I don't need black blood to even the standards…"

Soul smirked and coughed out a laugh, "You'll need all the black blood you can get…"

Soul dashed forward and pressed Maka up against the wall, causing her to exhale sharply due to the impact.

He grinned viciously down at her and whispered in her ear, "How about we make this a fair fight then?" He stared at the wound he gave her on her side, "Some of my black blood must have transferred into you. **Why don't you call out for its help**?"

The black blood _did_ in fact enter her system…only the imp was able to make it his own.

"What was it… that you wanted me to do?" Maka gasped out, as Soul grabbed onto her neck, choking it slightly.

"Didn't you hear me?" Soul growled, "**Let the black blood control your body.** And _then _fight me."

Maka's face scrunched up in pain as she tried to breathe for more air, "That good enough for you, imp?" She asked, taunting the imp.

The imp's face appeared in Maka's head, grinning widely at her, _**"Good enough."**_

And Maka was almost thankful that she blacked out.

**A/N: Hopefully, I'll update sometime NEXT week. Thanks for sticking with me, even after such a long and overdue time. :) I have a poetry reading test tomorrow -_- Gotta memorize those Sonnets… Have a great day everyone! :) Hope you enjoyed this chapter! Maka's ready to kick some butt!**

**And, if you get confused anytime at ALL in the story, feel free to review/message me about it. I'd gladly answer your questions.**


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